


Where The Wild Things Are

by MarionAveoneLuther



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Adventure, Angels, Angst, Demons, Discipline, Drama, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Humor, Hunters & Hunting, Nephilim, Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Sam Winchester, Spanking, Teen Angst, Teen Romance, Winchester Sister, non Canon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2019-10-17 05:01:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 119,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17553875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarionAveoneLuther/pseuds/MarionAveoneLuther
Summary: When Sam and Dean bump on a young singer that shares their surname their life takes a turn they never expected. Sister fic with a twist. Angels and demons, the earth's only Nephilim, Lucifer and Crowley, the boys, and a girl that has only ever known how to run and hide. SPANKING fic! Be warned! AU & Non-Canon!





	1. Introduction

Hello to everyone who might have stumbled upon this story! So this was all but a small scene that invaded my mind about five years ago, right after listening to a certain song. For some unexplained reason, Amber, the heroine was born that same second, as the lost Winchester sister. I wrote a small scene that same day and didn't touch it until a few months back when a plot bunny invaded my mind and demanded that I continued Amber's story but in a very different direction than what I had originally planned!

As all of my works up to now, this story will contain  **family discipline scenes in the form of spankings/groundings**  of a teen. Needless to say if that's not your cup of tea you should search for a different story! Depending on life and responsibilities this story will more or less update once a month, maybe twice when I get enough time in my hands. This is not a promise, things come up, life happens. What's important is the story is planned out and will be completed.

Regarding pairings: There will be M/F pairings later on ( **NO incest. None. Ever. Not this kind of story. Won't happen** ).

For those of you that haven't read any of my other stories, English is not my first language. The first 4 chapters of this story are not beta-ed as I didn't have one when I started posting the story. There are some mistakes -nothing over the top though. Later chapters are betaed, and after chapter 7 this story is co-written with another amazing writer, so English stopped being an issue altogether! Feedback is sooo appreciated! Please drop a line to let me know if you like the story or not, drop ideas for future chapters or scenes, or (kindly) point out areas for improvement.

Enough of my blubbering for now! Hit next and enjoy!

**Edit (13/9): As of chapter 7 the story is co-written with the amazing Lau Whisperer! That's great news for all of you, as language issues have minimized and our combined writing is taking this story to whole new levels!**


	2. A Glimpse Of My Father I See

**Title Credits** : Lyric from Iron Maiden's song: Blood Brothers (Album: Remaster 2015)

* * *

**November 11th, 1987**

The raven-haired woman walked briskly towards an old storehouse. With every step she took, she felt the powerful wards, set to keep angels and demons away. The closer she got , a woman's screams became louder and louder. As she walked into the old, abandoned space her eyes immediately landed on the laying female body, reclined against some pillows on a blanket laid on the floor. Her knees drawn near her torso, sweat drenching her forehead, red blotches from the effort covering her cheeks and shoulders heaving with each shallow breath she took. Despite all of her celestial glory, the angel looked as broken and exhausted as any mortal woman would, while going through a tough labor.

A dark haired man stood by her side, holding her hand tightly, but his eyes held no joy, only sadness, pain, and despair. Knowing his past -and guessing his future- the witch didn't wonder as to why. Not for a second.

Her forest-green, velvet dress swaying with every movement, the witch took a few steps closer and kneeled in front of the woman, gaze traveling between the female angel's legs. Looking up, she locked eyes first with her and then with the man as to confirm their minds were still made. At the intense gazes and nods she nodded as well. Placing palms against the woman's bent knees to offer further support and resistance, she instructed with a heavy foreign accent, "Push!"

The ear-splitting scream that followed made the man cringe, but the witch remained expressionless. "Again, harder! You knew what you were getting yourself into! Push!"

As the panting angel groaned and channeled all of her energy to follow the direction, the witch's hands moved between the bloody thighs.

"The head is out. One more time. Another strong one," came her next instruction. Her tone still cold and expressionless. Almost procedural.

The man glanced over the woman's raised knee and towards the blood-drenched blanket. He did not manage to keep his eyes there for a long time but the small head had indeed made its appearance and it made his heart race. His third one. One he would never get to know.

With a last curdling scream the woman managed to push the tiny infant out of her. The witch caught the baby and worked fast to smack her back a couple of times until the expected low crying started.

"It's a girl," the witch informed the distraught parents.

The man quickly offered a sharp pair of scissors, which he had sterilized with fire and alcohol just as the baby left her mother's womb. He watched the witch cut the umbilical cord and then turned to the panting woman. "Hold on, just a little longer," he said, his voice broken.

With the baby cleaned and wrapped in a clean and warm piece of cloth, the witch gently placed it in the angel's exhausted but waiting arms.

"Amber, Mary Winchester," the celestial woman whispered.

John managed to tear his eyes from the baby to turn them to her. "Mary?" he whispered.

The angel smiled faintly, "The mother of your boys. I know how much you loved her. How much you still do."

Tears glistening in his eyes John kissed her sweat soaked forehead lightly. He knew what would come next but he doubted he could survive it. How much more pain?

The Norwegian witch's voice sounded next, holding a hint of sadness but also resolve. "Your grace is rapidly weakening, if we want to make the spell work I'll need it now."

Tears escaping her eyes the woman glanced at the small bundle in her arms and kissed it lightly before turning her eyes to John. "The locket? You have it? You put the grace vial in?"

"Yes, everything is ready," came the man's hoarse answer.

Whispering a soft "I love you" to the baby, she handed her to him and turned to the witch. "Go on then."

The witch knelt close to the woman's side. With a quick precise motion, she cut her neck with a long and slender silver blade and collected the swirling light substance that emerged from the cut in a black marble bowl.

John locked eyes with Amalthea as the life slowly faded in her own.

When every ounce of substance was secured, the witch turned to a large old table where the rest of the hex's objects were gathered. "Bring her," she requested.

John left the lifeless body of the former angel as the shadow of her wings started forming on the floor below her.

He placed the softly moving child on the table and watched stiffly as the witch chanted in her native language and mixed the grace with the rest of the ingredients, in the marble bowl in front of her. Chanting never seizing she dipped the same knife that had taken the baby's mother's life into the bowl. She unwrapped the precious bundle and using the tip of the knife she delicately cut intricate symbols on her forehead, chest, wrists, ankles, and neck.

John was watching breathless and felt sick at the baby's screams. He knew no harm would come to her, but he couldn't control his reaction. After a few seconds he let out a long breath as the symbols glowed brightly before the light died down leaving behind it only a few faint but healed scars that resembled unusual birthmarks.

The witch continued with the last part of the complicated spell and secured a golden hourglass shaped locket around the infant's neck. As the chain and locket glowed in a similar fashion that the symbols had a few seconds ago, John watched it return to its original state.

The dark-haired woman turned her pale blue eyes to him. "It's done. Her powers are bound and hidden."

"You're sure?"

"I am. But we need to proceed. The blood-spell is ready for the time jump and it won't last much longer."

Nodding the man took the baby in his arms for one last time and held it close. Kissing her forehead and whispering his words of love, sorrow, and regret he offered the bundle back to the woman.

"I will take her to 2000 and deliver her at a hospital, as requested," she said. "She'll be safe there. Nobody will know her name or will be able to connect her with you or her mother. None will go after her."

John was unable to grasp why this witch risked so much to be their savior. Amalthea was the one that had found and approached her. He never trusted witches, but the angel was adamant that she was their only hope and that she trusted the woman with the life of their baby.

"Why are you doing this, Britha?" He finally asked.

"Because my mother was to bring a child like this in the world too," the woman said in an even tone. "I was there when the angels came. When they ripped her open, tore the minuscule creature from her belly, killed it in front of her, and then proceeded to kill her too." The words were spoken with no emotion and that shook John deeply. Even more so than the gruesome story, which he had spent the most part of the last eight months fearing would happen to them too.

"Thank you," he whispered.

Before he had the chance to utter another word, the woman, with the baby in her arms, spoke foreign words and a strong flash of light engulfed her.

John would never lay eyes on either of them again.

 

* * *

**November 10th, 2013**

 The small, old house looked similar if not in a slightly better condition than most of the houses of this part of Reno. The rundown yard held nothing but wilted plants and dead grass, a half-broken chair, that was thrown in the far left corner near the fence, and several old truck tires, which laid on the right side.

The small for her age dark-haired girl made herself as comfortable as possible inside one of those large tires. It provided enough space for her to prop her legs up on one side and recline her back and head on the other. She glanced at the sky and felt relief that the clouds were white and flat. Chances were they would remain the same for the rest of the afternoon. She longed to read the book that currently rested on her thighs and she would never get the chance to do so if she entered the house.

It was not home. Just the house. Her eighth foster-home placement up to now. Her current foster parents, the Graysons, had already five more foster kids under their roof. Things were always noisy, busy and dirty. Amber felt she could never catch her breath, not even at nights, when the older kids would constantly make noise attempting to leave or enter the house, or the Graysons would scream at each other over every little thing.

At least nobody was hitting her here. Not that she had been in terrible homes or experienced serious abusive situations. No. Judging from the stories of other children she had met over the years, she was one of the lucky ones. But the occasional slap on the face from an angry adult or the roughing up by an older kid were things that she had experienced in more than half of the houses she had lived in up to now.

Opening the cover of the book she glanced at the first white page. The stamp from the library was there and the date the book should be returned was written in a small sticker right above the stamp. Wishing with all her might that the book could be hers and that she could write her name on it, indicating it was her possession made her eyes almost water. If only she could keep this one book, just this one. If only this could be her present for her thirteenth birthday tomorrow.

She rubbed the tears angrily. She hated how such small, mundane things made her sad and emotional. Crying was a sign of weakness and experience had taught her that very early on.

Her hand traveled to her locket. She often wondered how it had not been stolen up to now through all of the moves between foster-homes and considering how many people had access to her stuff even before she could defend them or herself.

As usually, her fingers fumbled with the locket, but it refused to open. Sighing the girl returned her attention to the book and turned to the first page, allowing the printed story slowly take her mind and focus far away.

It wasn't until it was dark and much colder that Amber decided to leave her tire and head for the house. She opened the front door and almost flinched at the sudden noise that seemingly came from everywhere. Mr. Grayson was watching some tv-show with two of the little kids in the living room. As always when he watched TV the sound was ridiculously high. Loud music could be heard as well by one of the bedrooms. Probably one of the older kids was already home, or just didn't bother turning the CD-player off before leaving -it wouldn't be the first time. Amber took off the light jacket she had on and walked slowly to the kitchen. She was expected to help Mrs. Grayson with dinner every night.

"Mrs. Grayson? What can I do?" She asked politely from the kitchen's door.

The tall, stocky woman turned dull, brown eyes to her and nodded wordlessly towards the table, where a pile of potatoes was placed along with a peeler.

Not waiting for further instructions, Amber worked quickly to peel the potatoes, and place them in a large enough bowl. She set it aside on the counter, threw the peels in the trash can, and taking advantage of the fact that the woman did not directly ask her to do anything else, she quickly and quietly exited the uncomfortably small kitchen space and moved towards her room.

The room was rather small as well. It consisted of two bunker-beds against two of the walls There was little space for anything else, despite a small desk, which was somehow supposed to accommodate all three children currently sharing the room, and a chest of drawers, again shared among all three of them.

Moving to her bed she lied down and stared at the digital clock on top of the desk. A quarter to seven. Too early to sleep, too late to do anything else in this blasted place. She wished she owned a guitar that she could play to pass the time. In the only decent foster-home she had ever lived, one of the older children had taught her how to play on his own guitar and was actually impressed by her talent and quick progress. The two years she spent there were undoubtedly the best of her life. Unfortunately, a violent incident against her by one of the older foster-kids led to her removal. Being younger than the kid that had attacked her, and with no record of aggressive or violent behaviors, she stood better chances in being quickly relocated to another family. Shaking her head to chase away her own thoughts she decided that the noise was not insufferable in this room after all. She took her book back out and continued reading it.

About an hour later she heard Mrs. Grayson's call for dinner. Snapping the book shut she joined the rest of the household at the table. The dinner did not surprise her, it rarely did. Potatoes and chicken. Pork and beef would occasionally replace the chicken but only a couple of times each month. She ate her food silently blocking out the occasional short-lived chatter between the rest of the table's occupants.

Being her turn to do the dishes and clean up the kitchen, it was close to ten when she returned to her room. With her two roommates already in bed, having a light on to read was out of the question. It always led to a fight and usually the confiscation of whatever book she was reading. She changed in her night clothes and got under the covers, reminding herself that tomorrow morning she'd wake up as a 13-year-old girl. One year closer to freedom.

When she woke up with a start it was not from the usual morning alarm. The clock read 00:01. What woke her was a heat that was rapidly blooming in her chest. The girl resisted the urge to scream. Putting her hand below her blouse she grasped her locket and felt it warm to the touch. As soon as her fist clasped around it she felt it click open for the first time in her life.

Her heartbeat accelerating, she kept her fist over it, in fear it would snap closed again if she dared moving it. Rising to her feet, she rushed to the bathroom, not bothering to wear her slippers. She locked the door behind her and shivered as the soles of her feet pressed against the cold floor tiles. With her free hand, she released the clasp of the locket's chain and slowly retrieved it from under her shirt with her other. Bringing it close to her she nervously and slowly peeled back her fingers, to reveal the golden hourglass for inspection. The locket had opened in half, much like a book would have, revealing a small vial with a glistening silverish substance swirling inside. Folded beneath it, a tiny piece of paper. Unfolding it with the greatest delicacy her trembling hands could master, the paper developed to a small note, written in a beautiful handwriting, with blue ink.

Her mind screamed at her to read it but it felt like she had forgotten how to.

Taking another breath she lowered herself on the edge of the bathtub and looked at the piece of paper again.

_'My beloved Amber, drink this. I love you more than any word could ever describe. Your mom'_

* * *

**Present, October 4th, 2016**

"Dude..."

"Shut up! That's impossible!"

"Are you serious right now?" Sam asked incredulously. "Dude, look at her!"

"We'd know, Sam!"

"Yeah!" Sam scoffed, "Just like we knew about Adam, right?"

Dean gulped down a large sip of his beer and remained silent. He couldn't wrap his head around the mere possibility of this.

"Dean," the dark-haired angel's quiet voice sounded next, "I can check if the angels know anything."

Dean turned questioning eyes at Sam before turning them to the young singer on the pub's stage. He couldn't even consider the possibility that their father could have hidden yet another child, yet another sibling, yet another relationship with some woman they never met.

As the stage lights showered the small-framed brunette, he couldn't deny how uncanny her resemblance was to John Winchester; and to him and Sam if one looked closely. She had the whole package of dark hair and olive skin but her eyes seemed lighter, definitely not the warm chestnut brown of John. Her nose was similar to Dean's and was pierced. Her chin carried the characteristic dimple that all three male Winchesters sported, and her lips were full like Dean's and John's. Chocolate brown, rich locks just like Sam's cascaded to her slender shoulders. The only thing un-Winchester on her was a small dark mole right below her nose, that could be seen only when she tilted her head a certain way.

' _I'm not here for your entertainment_

_You don't really wanna mess with me tonight…'_

Listening to the song and faintly smiling over the fact that someone so small had such a powerful voice, or sang threatening lyrics for that matter, he only took another sip of his beer before breaking his silence, refraining from answering to Cas' suggestion, "Who the fuck sings that song? You think it's hers?"

Sam looked at him incredulously but Castiel beat him to an answer.

"It's Pink's."

Dean's loud laughter broke the tension instantly and soon Sam joined in, while Cas glanced between them perplexed.

Not waiting any longer for an explanation on what amused the brothers to such extent, the angel stood and walked out of the bar, as he tuned in with all the other angels' whispers into his mind.

As the song came to an end the brothers watched the girl unbuckling her guitar's strap and placing the instrument on a stand, that rested next to the stool she was sitting on, while performing. Her rich voice informed the audience that she'd take a ten-minute break. Sam glanced at Dean unsure of how they should proceed.

Dean's brow creased in thought for a couple of seconds. Sending a defeated glance at Sam and unable to resist his own curiosity, he grabbed his half-empty beer and headed to the bar, where the young singer had just sat at. Before he could reach her some other guy beat him to it, sitting directly on her right and immediately starting talking with her. Dean took a seat on the left of her stool and not bothering with acknowledging her company, he clinked his bottle to her glass of water, effectively gaining her attention. When she turned smiling eyes on him he told her "You're really great, you, know..."

Smile widening and forming beautiful, familiar creases around her mouth, she answered him in a pleasant tone, "Thanks! First time here?"

Dean regarded her for a few seconds, noticing how young she looked from up-close. "Yeah," he finally answered, "First time in town, really. You're playing here often?"

"Three times a week a year now..." she answered.

The barman's voice who deposited a tall glass in front of the young singer interrupted them with, "Vodka tonic for Amber… And, can I get you anything man?"

Dean shook his head and indicated his still half-full beer bottle. When the other man walked away, Dean eyed the glass in the girl's grip and considered her previous words before smiling knowingly, "You manage three nights a week of work, alcohol, and school on top of that? Wow!"

Taken aback for only a second Amber chuckled. "It's kinda flattering that you think I am still in school, but I've been legal for a year now," she informed him her green eyes, that were darker in tone compared to his own, easily maintaining eye contact with him.

His turn to scoff now, Dean answered, "C'mon kid. If you were twenty-two I could tell, trust me. I know that age in ladies. Too well, really."

A tight smile forming and rolling her eyes Amber answered an annoyed "Believe what you want, pal," before turning her back to him.

The man on her right promptly took the chance to continue talking to her. Dean watched for a few seconds, willing himself not to knock the guy out, when he started leaning too close or when his hand touched her shoulder twice, despite the fact that she kindly asked him to not touch her.

"Hey, Amber, look…." Dean attempted again not at all sure on how he could possibly proceed or what he actually expected. He never had the chance to gather his thoughts or utter another word, though, as the other man stood from his stool and took purposeful steps towards the older Winchester.

"How about you go grab your own chick, dude? She's talking to me, in case you didn't notice," the man spat angrily.

Before Dean had the chance to answer, Amber grabbed hold of the man's still full glass of bourbon and stepping between him and Dean, promptly threw its contents on his face. "I'm not a fucking object! Fuck off, you dick!" She yelled at him angrily.

"You fucking bitch!" came the guy's growled answer, but before he made it to continue, Dean's fist connected forcefully with his jaw and then his stomach. When the man doubled over with the force of the blow, Dean took hold of his shirt's collar and promptly dragged him to the door of the pub, roughly throwing him on the pavement. Leaning close to the curled up figure he spat "Stay away from my sister you fucking piece of shit!"

As Dean walked back inside his glance met Sam's worried eyes. Winking at him to let him no everything was ok he returned to his spot on the bar, next to Amber.

"That was rather chivalrous of you," she told him, her eyes carrying intrigue as she glanced at him. "Thank you," she added.

Dean waved her thanks off smiling. "What can I say, teens, bring out the older brother in me. "

"You got a sister?" Amber promptly asked.

Not missing how she didn't react to the teen mention this time, Dean let off a small snort, licked his lips, and shook his head before answering with a hint of humor in his tone, "Not that I know of, no. But I have a younger brother, Sammy over there," he continued and pointed with his beer to where Sam was sitting.

"Sam?" She asked not managing to completely cover her taken aback tone. Glancing to where he had indicated she spotted the tall man with longish brown hair. Turning back to Dean she asked, "And what's your name?

Dean eyed her Intently, catching something at her tone. "Dean. Dean Winchester," he said, before gulping down the remainder of his drink.

Her smile did not fade, but Dean did not miss that she started clicking her glass with a semi-long burgundy fingernail nervously. "Funny coincidence huh?" she commented casually.

"Yeah… We saw the poster of tonight's live on some window down at the central square. Amber Winchester Live… That's how we decided to come tonight. You never know where you'll find a relative, right ?" Dean smiled while signaling the barman for another beer.

When she remained silent and only sipped from her drink, Dean continued in a more serious tone, "So, no jokes, we might actually be related. Where's your dad from?"

Her smile fading she stood from her seat and took her glass, "You start creeping me out, pal, and I gotta get back on stage." Without waiting for an answer, the young woman turned her back to Dean and walked back to her stool and guitar.

Dean banged his fist frustrated on the bar before getting up and walking back to where Sam was anxiously waiting.

"Cas?" Dean asked his brother gruffly.

"Ain't back yet," Sam said and his jaw tightened as he waited for his brother to share information.

Seeing the hopeful glint in his younger brother's eyes, Dean shook his head. "Didn't get much, Sammy. She is obviously underage but pretends to be an adult, that's how she works here probably. She got real tense when I shared our names though and left when I asked her where her dad is from."

"She got tense? I'd expect surprise..." Sam said, his eyebrows knitting together.

"Me too. I think that whoever she is, she probably knows more about us than we do about her," Dean answered.

"Did you ask her?" Sam prompted his brother.

"If she's our sister? No, Sam, I didn't get to that point as you might've noticed," Dean answered sarcastically.

The brothers turned as the figure of Castiel slowly approached the table after reentering the bar.

When the boys looked at him silently, Castiel returned their gaze and waited patiently for their usual bombarding questions.

After a few silent seconds Dean's growl of "Cas..." made the angel proceed with his dry announcement.

"Nobody knows anything about another Winchester child. There were some rumors back in 1987, of some unholy pregnancy, but they were never confirmed."

"Unholy pregnancy? What's that supposed to mean?" Dean immediately asked.

"When an angel conceives a child with a human. The result would be a hybrid of the two species. Considered an abomination. Whenever such a pregnancy occurs, angels are sent to kill both mother and child," Sam explained thoughtfully.

"But as I said. It must be a rumor. Nothing was ever confirmed, and no Nephilim is currently active on earth," Cas explained.

"And 1987 wouldn't make sense anyway. She'd be 3 years younger than you," Dean said looking at his brother before adding, "That kid is no way older than 17".

"Well, angels not knowing doesn't say much. Nobody knew about Adam either. Maybe, dad was not so much on their radar back then..." Sam tried.

Dean remained silent before adding, "She does look a lot like him though. A lot like us, too."

Both boys' gaze traveled back to her as if to reconfirm Dean's words.

When her eyes caught their own, she gripped the microphone tighter and hastened to avert her gaze towards the other side of the store.

After another hour, the only people remaining besides the Winchester brothers and Cas was another company of three, who were close to finishing their drinks.

"So, what now?", Dean asked tensely. "What the hell do we do, Sam?"

"We get to meet her?" Sam replied, uncertain of what his brother meant with that question.

Dean rolled his eyes before curtly answering, "Yeah, sorry to break it to ya Sam, but she sure as hell doesn't seem very eager to meet us."

Sam shook his head his expression remaining baffled. "Well, tough luck. She might be family and we at the very least deserve to get to know the truth."

"Try telling her, that..." The older brother said in an annoyed tone. A moment of silence passed before he mumbled mainly to his beer, "Man, this is surreal. This is almost too much."

"I know..." Sam whispered back.

As the last notes of a slow jazz song and the accompanying clapping died out, the warm melodic voice of the girl interrupted their thoughts and made them jerk.

"Thank you all! Have a great night!"

The brothers watched her unlatching the strap of her guitar and squatting to carefully place it back in a case that laid on the stage. Not thinking it twice Sam stood and walked towards her slowly.

When he closed up enough she spoke without raising her eyes, "Look, dude, I don't know what kind of issues plague you, but not everyone sharing your surname is a blood relative and certainly not a sibling."

Sam smiled beside himself and cleared his throat, "Um, different dude here..."

When her eyes rose to meet his he caught a barely there gasp escaping her.

"Plus, I don't think my brother ever mentioned us being siblings, did he?" Sam added, thinking that her spontaneous phrasing was rather unusual since Dean hadn't mentioned or implied the possibility of them being related in such a way. He also noticed her jaw tightening at his words. Deciding it was time to lay their cards more openly he continued, "Look, I know this must seem weird and out of the blue to you. Trust me, the same goes for us. It's just that you look exactly like our father! Scratch that, you even look a lot like us!"

Not able to suppress her short laugh she quipped "Gee, thanks, different dude!"

Sam chuckled too and rubbed the back of his neck with an awkward hand. "That sounded so wrong. No, I mean in a good way. Eyes, hair, dimple…" At her eyes traveling to meet his momentarily, he added, "We're not here to cause you trouble, we just want to know if we're family."

Taking the guitar case in her hand and rising she informed him, "Family is so much more than blood, Sam."

Smiling the brown-haired man quipped, "It's nice hearing you calling me by my name."

Taking in a deep breath she spoke again, her words slow and emphatic. "I am not your sister, I'm not your cousin, I'm not your family. I am sorry," with that, she turned away and walked briskly towards the store's exit.

"What if we can prove it to you?" Sam yelled behind her.

Turning incredulous eyes at him she answered, "Leave me alone, creepheads!"

Dean approached Sam and rested a palm on his shoulder. "C'mon. I asked Cas to keep an eye out for her. Let's get to the motel and we'll think this over tomorrow."

* * *

 

Yo, Amb!" Came the pleasant greeting of Tyler, as Amber walked through her house's door.

"Hey, Ty. Still here?" Amber asked as she quickly worked on securing the lock on the door and placing the guitar on an old chair that stood against the wall right next to it.

"My folks are off to some dinner party, they won't be home for a while, so I thought I'd wait on you, keep you some company," the young man said as he looked at his friend from where he was lying on the old, faded blue couch.

"Your girlfriend will skin me one of these days, if you keep spending most of your evenings here, you know…" Amber quipped.

"It's not my fault, she's always busy…" Tyler answered defensively.

Leaving an amused snort she shot back, "Please take a video if you ever explain our spending so much time together using that particular justification!"

When her friend only shrugged, she shook her head and made quick moves of removing her numerous leather, beaded and silver bracelets from both of her wrists. She then threw herself on the closest armchair and kicked off her black leather combat boots. Tying her hair in a loose bun on the top of the head she stretched her stiff hands and cracked her fingers. When she gathered them back in her lap, she absentmindedly traced with her right pointer finger the intricate faint shape on her inner left wrist.

Noticing her thoughtful expression, Tyler sat up on the couch as he asked, "Everything ok?"

Amber glanced at him once before shaking her head reassuringly and offering a small smile, "Yeah, just some ghosts from the past, I guess."

* * *

 

**November 11th, 2013**

' _My beloved Amber, drink this. I love you more than any word could ever describe. Your mom'_

The young girl felt her heart race even faster. She felt lightheaded and slowly eased herself on the floor, afraid she'd fall back in the tub if she kept sitting on its edge.

She glanced at the blue letters that formed the words. Ran her fingers over them. Her mom, the one who gave birth to her, who left her as a newborn of a few hours in a hospital's entrance and disappeared. No name left behind, not the slightest breadcrumb she could possibly follow.

Could this really be from her? And what was in the small glass container? The substance was moving in a soothing slow elegant dance. Glistening, mesmerizing…

It made her think of the Harry Potter stories. The memories were described as something like this. Yet they were plain silver, this had a faint blue hue and a slight glow. She shook her head. This was not Harry Potter. This was reality. There was no such thing as magic or extracted memories.

And yet the more she looked at it, the more she felt drawn to the swirling substance. Against her better judgment and feeling herself moving without her mind's consent she carefully opened the golden cap of the delicate container and brought it close to her mouth. Her eyes enlarged and her mouth gaped as the substance slowly rose on its own accord and all but flew through her parted lips.

A powerful sensation overtook her. Amber felt light as a feather and serene, her insides ignited with a cool, breezy sensation that made her feel more alive than she ever had before. Her surroundings started fading and she was suddenly standing in what looked like a motel room, watching two people talking. She somehow knew they could not see her. She knew her body was not really there. But she also somehow knew, what she was witnessing was something that had really happened.

Walking closely she took in the scene before her. A man standing, rubbing his face with both of his hands. He had dark hair and olive skin, a strong jawline with a dimple at the center of his jaw. He was tall and muscular. His face was vaguely familiar but she couldn't tell from when or where.

The woman was curled up in an armchair. Her energy was different. More powerful, yet she seemed more tense and scared. But not of the man. She had her hands wrapped around her and she looked like she hadn't slept in days. Long blond hair, dark green eyes and fair skin, full lips and light freckles on her nose, she looked beautiful despite her fatigue. For some reason, Amber had no doubt that that woman was her mother. She felt it in every fiber of her body, and the sensation the substance had ignited in her, felt like it was drawing Amber closer to the woman, intensifying more and more with every step that led her closer to her.

"How could this possibly happen? It's not like we weren't careful!" The man asked in an elevated almost desperate tone.

"Accidents happen, I guess. Trust me, the last thing that I am thinking of right now is the how. It happened, it's here. We need to figure this out," the woman said in a trembling voice.

"How could we possibly figure this out? Amalthea, they're gonna kill you! They're gonna kill you both!" the man all but yelled.

Amalthea… Amber's heart skipped a beat. Her mother's name. Nothing else made sense. Who would kill them? Why?

"Maybe, if we pleaded, if we explained… I am going to teach her to manage her power. I am a lower class angel, she won't even be that different from an angel. She won't be powerful or dangerous," Amalthea reasoned, but her voice held mainly despair and little trust in her own sayings.

A lower class angel? Amber felt more perplexed by the second. What was she talking about? Could she be crazy?

"Are you listening to yourself? A Nephilim? Half-angel, half human… You won't have the time to plead or reason… They'll kill you and they'll kill our child before it's even born!"

A Nephilim… The baby… Her… Our child… So this was her father. She felt tears filling her eyes but did not attempt to stop them.

"John, please… Help us!" Amalthea whispered, looking at him pleadingly.

Everything swirled together again and the next thing she knew, she was standing on what looked like a living room, filled with dark furniture. She shivered when her eyes landed on the shelves on one wall, filled with bones, skulls, candles and thick leather bind books.

Her mother was standing in the center of the room. A tall woman with black hair and fair skin was staring back at her.

"I can help you. I will create a talisman that will keep you under the radar. You're still early on, that's why they haven't felt the power yet and come for you. If the father was the angel and the mother the human, you'd be giving birth any day now. Your grace gives the vessel the needed power and healing to keep the baby in and thus it grows at a normal pace."

Powers… And that word again... Nephilim. Her mind didn't even try to process anymore. She just paid close attention to registering everything, so that she could, later on, try to understand...

Amalthea nodded and slowly sat on the couch behind her, tears filling her eyes. "Thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet. Nobody has ever managed to hide such a child up to now. No known Nephilim has ever walked on earth. The talisman, won't be enough, you need to secure a place, somewhere quiet and away from humans, somewhere, where angels won't have reason to linger or watch. We'll need to lock your presence inside that space and lock any angel from entering. It will take time, but it can happen," the woman said.

"What about the baby?" Once she's out, once her powers manifest…." Amalthea trailed.

"I'll bind the child's powers immediately after birth. You're a lower class angel, as you said. She won't be powerful enough to break free from the bounds. But I'll need your life to do that," she said in the same even, monotone voice she had used to say everything up to that point.

"What do you mean?" Amalthea asked, her eyes filling with tears yet again as a hand rubbed at her stomach.

"For such a strong binding to work, I'll need all of your angel's grace. But as soon as that is removed, you won't be strong enough to heal yourself from the Nephilim birth. No mother of Nephilim can survive the process. Chances are, even if we didn't bind her, you'd still die within a few hours. Your core, your essence, angelic or human, it doesn't matter. It can't take birthing such a creature."

Shaking her head and drying her eyes, Amalthea smiled, "I don't care if I have to die. As long as the baby is safe and gets to live and grow up."

"Good. The angels will know at some point and they will try to find you. They will be able to sense something in the balance is changing. To remain safe, the kid cannot be linked to you or the father."

"How are we going to manage that?"

"We'll send her somewhere none will ever think to look."

"Where?"

"Forth in time," the woman said tilting her head slightly.

The whirlwind of colors enveloped her again and Amber landed in an old warehouse. Her mother was laying on a bloody blanket holding a bundled baby in her arms, while her father knelt next to her.

Amber watched with tears in her eyes.

"Amber, Mary Winchester," Amalthea whispered.

Amber Mary Winchester…. Her name. Her real name.

John looked at her shocked. "Mary?" he whispered.

Amalthea smiled faintly, "The mother of your boys. I know how much you loved her. How much you still do."

John kissed her hand lightly.

The woman from before appeared. "Your grace is rapidly weakening, if we want to make the spell work I'll need it now."

Tears escaping her eyes the woman glanced at the small bundle in her arms and kissed it lightly before turning her eyes to John. "The locket? You have it? You put the grace vial in?"

"Yes, everything is ready," John's hoarse answer.

Whispering a soft "I love you" to the baby, Amalthea handed her to him and turned to the witch. "Go on then."

The witch kneeled close to the woman's side. With a quick precise motion, she cut her neck with a slender knife and collected the swirling light substance that emerged from the cut in a black marble bowl.

Amber couldn't hold in her scream of "No!" as she watched.

She saw her father looking at the woman brokenly. As a shadow of what looked like wings started appearing beneath her now still body everything around Amber faded.

Next thing she knew, she was back on the bathroom floor. As her eyes traveled to the clutched locket in her hands, they enlarged and she gasped audibly at what she saw. Her birthmark on the inner side of her wrist had reddened, making its intricate shape much more visible and clear. Glancing to her other hand she spotted the same thing happening there. She quickly checked her ankles and chest. All of the marks were reddened around the edges. Raising on trembling feet she looked at the mirror over the sink. As she feared, the smaller mark on her forehead was in the exact same state.

She felt panic rising in her chest. What was going on? What was happening to her? The feeling inside her was still there, though weaker than before. She remained looking at her reflection, almost motionless, tears slipping down her cheeks. Lowering her gaze to the sink she opened the faucet and let the cool water run over her fingers, her palms, her marked wrists. She lowered her face to the sink and splashed a generous amount to her face in a desperate effort to gain some clarity.

When she looked at the mirror again, she saw her forehead mark slowly fading back to normal. Glancing on her wrists she saw the exact same process. The feeling inside her also felt slowly dissipating, leaving behind an unusual fatigue and heaviness.

Amber clasped her locket closed, after securing the now empty vial and note back inside, and before tiptoeing out of the bathroom and back into her room. Getting into bed she managed to lay there for only a minute. There was no way she could sleep and she feared that if she did she'd forget everything she had just experienced.

Getting back to her feet, she grabbed her school-bag and quietly walked, still barefoot, towards the empty silent living room. She turned on a lamp that rested on a side table next to one of the armchairs and retrieved a notebook and a pen from her bag.

Not missing a moment she sat on the armchair and started writing frantically in as much detail as she could all that had played out before her eyes that night.

If she stood any chance of finding out if what she had witnessed was real, if her father was somewhere, possibly alive, his boys, her brothers... She had to have every detail available.

* * *

 

**Present, October 4th, 2016**

 

"Amb!" Tyler all but yelled.

Snapping out of her reminiscing, the girl turned to stare at him annoyed. "Gee, Ty! Keep it down! My head's gonna explode!"

"Sorry, dude, but you didn't seem to listen the first two times…" Tyler trailed. When she never answered but kept staring thoughtfully at the ceiling, he went on, "You're sure everything's ok? You know you can tell me anything. You know I can help with anything!"

Turning to look at him again she smiled appreciatively to her best friend. "I know that, Ty."

Opening his hands grandly, the black haired boy declared, "Take advantage of my genius then!"

Chuckling, Amber grabbed a pillow and threw it at his chest. Thinking it over for a minute she asked, "Remember when I told you that I had no biological family left?"

The boy nodded.

"Well, I lied," Amber told him plainly, regarding his face intently. When his eyes reflected solely surprise and not anger she went on, "Sorry, but, my mother, she… Uh… Kinda advised me against finding them," she informed him. The witch's voice telling her mother Amber wouldn't be safe if anyone linked her with the Winchesters still haunting her ears.

"Them?" Tyler asked, his kind brown eyes squinting slightly.

"Yeah. My brothers. My father has been dead for some years now," Amber supplied.

"Why though? She feared they'd abuse you or whatever?" Tyler asked then.

Amber shook her head. "No. Look, I can't tell you much about what was going on with all of them back then, but long story short, she feared there were people after me that would hurt me. And my getting in touch with the boys could be dangerous."

Tyler squinted his eyes even more. "Are you some sort of mafia's princess or whatever?

Unable to suppress her erupting short laughter Amber only shook her head, "I wish it was that simple, Ty. Anyways. Forget the details. If I give you two names, can you find pictures of them?"

Tyler's signature smug smile appeared on his lips. "You know I do. Who hacked your access to internet and electricity in this abandoned pit-hole after all? Hm? Who got you your fake ID?"

Smiling cutely she hopped on her feet and threw herself next to him on the couch. "Get your laptop out then!"

Reaching over the side of the couch into his backpack, Tyler took the device out and turned it on, "Names?"

"Sam and Dean Winchester, with a 'ch'," Amber supplied as her foot started tapping impatiently.

She didn't know why she was asking Tyler to confirm if the two guys were indeed who they claimed they were. A part of her always wanted to be found by one of them. That's why, after her thirteenth birthday and her running away from that last foster-home, she started using her real name and not the one she was registered with. She knew that even if the Sam and Dean she met were indeed her brothers, it would still be too risky for her to admit her existence. But she couldn't suppress her desire to know.

She had come to terms with the fact that what she had seen that day was probably real. Some sort of transferred memory. She had spotted John Winchester's name and soon enough learned about hunters, their work and their circles. She confirmed the fact that the conception of a Nephilim was possible, but supposedly had never happened. She had also learned that most hunters would not risk killing one if they ever crossed paths with it. They would most likely contact an angel to take care of it. It. That's what she was for hunters. An it. Still, her father, the most famous hunter of them all, had saved her mother and her. So she had some hopes that her brothers might, just might, be the same.

Tyler's frowning brow and annoyed expression took her out of her thoughts. "What's up?"

"They're trying hard not to be found, these two," Tyler mumbled. After a few more minutes his triumphant "Caught ya!" made Amber's heart skip a beat. Although she had learned their names, she had never seen their faces before. With slightly trembling hands she took the laptop on her lap and looked at the screen.

The two guys from the pub were staring right back at her. Frowning she asked, "Are these mug shots?"

Tyler nodded. "They were listed as most wanted by the FBI. That's how I found them. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news or whatever but they're supposed to be dead according to this," Tyler added hesitantly looking at his friend with sincere concern.

Amber shook her head reassuringly. "They're both very much alive."

"Um, Amb, if they are wanted by the feds, maybe it really isn't safe to get in touch," Tyler said carefully.

Turning her gaze to the boy she only asked, "Do you trust me?"

"With my life, dude," he immediately answered.

Smiling at the use of the kind-of-affectionate nickname he used for her she told him, "Then forget this FBI shit. They're not killers."

' _Not human killers at least'_ , she added silently to herself.

"But how are you gonna find them? There's no record of them in more than a year…"

Amber didn't answer immediately. "I'm not sure I'll find them. I just wanted to see their faces. I'll see what I'll do." With that, the girl stood up and stretched her body causing several cracking sounds to sound from her back.

Tyler shot up at the sound, and cringed, "Dude! You know I can't stand that sound!"

Smiling impishly she offered a "sorry," before yawning deeply. "You can stay as late as you want, Ty, but I need to get some sleep. I'm beat."

Tyler shook his head as he closed the laptop and placed it in his backpack. "Nuh, I'd best be home before the folks anyway or they'll pitch a fit."

Exchanging a brief hug, Amber followed him to the door, unlocked and opened it for him, and then promptly closed it and double locked it when he exited.

She moved to the wooden staircase that creaked deeply with each of her steps and across the corridor to the room she had claimed as her own. Thanking her lucky stars for whoever had left this house to rot she threw herself on the bed and reached with her hand to the adjacent nightstand. She fumbled a bit until she managed to open the drawer and take out her notebook.

Tyler had gifted it to her for her fifteenth birthday a year back. It was the first birthday present she had ever received and she cherished it deeply. It was thick and leather bound with a raven engraved on its front cover. She had meticulously transferred there all of the information she had gathered over the years regarding her family, the supernatural and of course the detailed description of what she had seen the night that she turned thirteen.

Turning to a new page she quickly scribbled down Sam and Dean's name as well as the date, time and place that she met them, for possible future use or reference. Sighing she closed it again and left it on top of the nightstand before getting under the covers and curling up to sleep. Their faces invaded her mind. The possible answers she could gain, about herself, her past, her nature. But at what cost? Rolling to her left side she closed her eyes and willed herself to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Please spare a minute to drop a review! :)**


	3. Let Me Walk Before They Make Me Run

**A/N: I realized I forgot to mention in the introduction that the story will follow the general timeline and some of the events of the 12th season minus Mary Winchester. I won't have her brought back to life in this story. We'll eventually venture into 13th season and throw Jack into the mix as well :)**

 

Title Credit: Lyric from the Rolling Stone's song: Before they make me run (Album: Some Girls, 1978)

 

* * *

 

Dean held the last empty bottle of beer in his hand and looked at it with an annoyed expression, as if expecting he could glare at it to the point of refilling simply to appease him. After a few seconds, he threw it away somewhere to his left, not bothering to look if anyone was passing by. So close to four in the morning he doubted anyone would stroll into a motel 's dark parking lot. He was seated on his baby's hood. As he lazily reclined on the windshield, he glanced on the night sky. He could see a few stars since the motel was in one of the city's suburbs, but still not even close to what the night sky without any light pollution held. When a dark-haired head popped out of nowhere and blocked his line of vision, Dean gasped and all but fell from the car in his reflexive attempt to protect himself from an onslaught.

"Damn it, Cas!" He mumbled angrily, when he realized to whom the head belonged to. It was unbelievable how even without his ability to teleport the angel could still sneak up so stealthily to anyone. "How many times do I have to tell you to clear your throat or something!"

Tilting his head to the side and eyes squinting the angel asked perplexed, "Why and how would I clear my throat?"

"So, you know Pink, but not throat-clearing etiquette? Nice work, pal," Dean shook his head as his heart-beat slowly eased back to its normal pace.

Cas' sole answer consisted of, "I'll look it up." After another second he went on, "She lives in an old abandoned house. I managed to manipulate the electromagnetic sequence of her cell phone in order to hear what was going on inside. There was a man with her there too. She had him find yours and Sam's pictures online. It appears she is your sister and she knows it, although she only knew your names before today, not your faces."

Dean felt overwhelmed by all the information. "A man? She knew about us?" he asked lamely.

"Yes, she did. Maybe the word man is not an accurate description. He looked young like her. She called him Ty. They seemed close. He left when she went to sleep."

Feeling a weird sense of relief at the last bit of information, he rubbed two hands over his face as he walked a few steps away from the car, trying to grasp the implications of what Castiel had just told him. They had a sister. A younger, underage sister, who lives alone in an abandoned house and works as a singer at a bar.

"Holly crap," Dean mumbled, suddenly feeling exhausted. Shaking his head lightly as if the mere movement would clear his thoughts, he started moving towards their room. Sam's light snoring did not stop him from turning on the room's light, before sitting on the ugly, beige sofa that rested in the middle of the small space between the kitchenette and the beds.

When Sam's eyes remained closed and the sleeping sounds did not seize sounding, Dean grabbed a throw pillow and threw it forcefully on his brother's head.

Sam jumped in a sitting position with a hoarse "what?" and looked around him bewildered. "What the hell, Dean?" He asked in a frustrated voice when he spotted his brother looking at him with an annoyed expression.

"How the hell can you be sleeping right now?" Dean asked incredulously.

"What do you want me to do? What could we possibly do tonight?" Sam countered incredulously.

"You were right," Dean informed him.

"About?"

"Her being family. Our sister."

Last traces of sleepiness vanishing from his face, Sam slowly stood and walked to sit next to his brother. "What? How…"

"Cas. He went over doing his creepy angel stalking thing. She had a friend search us and apparently admitted we are her brothers," Dean supplied.

Castiel's voice sounded next, making the brothers jump slightly, "She seemed to know of your existence for a while now. Mentioned that her mother had warned her to stay away from you and your father."

"Why would her mother ask her something like that?" Sam asked lamely.

"That was not mentioned," came the angel's dry clarification.

"That's it, I'm going over there first thing this morning," Dean said gruffly.

"Dean, no. If she was warned to stay away from us, she might freak out if we force our presence. You can't just storm over there and demand answers," Sam tried to reason.

"The hell I can't! She is our sister, Sammy! She is young, working in a bar and lives in a fucking abandoned shit-hole. Like hell, I'm not going over there. The sooner I get her to listen the sooner we can…"

Sam's eyes looked at him questioningly. "We can what?"

"Take her with us, Sam, what else?"

"Don't you think that's something she gets a say in?"

"No. Not if I'm right about her age and her living situation. I won't have my little sister roaming about unprotected and alone," came Dean's resolute answer.

Not really able -or willing - to counter that Sam only added, "Agreed, but just popping over there is not the way to go about this. Let's give her some time, we can go see her in the bar again tomorrow."

"What if she freaks out and runs away till tomorrow?" Dean asked his tone laced with worry and exasperation.

"She won't," Sam answered immediately, but his voice did not hold the certainty of his words.

Shaking his head Dean got to his feet and made a purposeful track to the door.

"Dean, where are you going?" Sam asked demandingly getting to his feet as well.

"To get some air," Dean answered curtly.

"Promise me you won't go there today! She is my sister too! I won't have you scare her away!" Sam told his older brother warningly.

"Fine, Sam! Fine," Dean answered angrily and slammed the door on his way out of the motel room.

* * *

The two men stood side by side in a companionable silence for more than a minute. The rain-coat adorned figure glanced over at his friend every few seconds as if expecting him to say or do something sudden.

Dean's eyes remained glued to the two-story, rundown house. All the windows facing the street were painted over with dark red paint, offering no view of the interior. There was no front yard. Only a couple of steps that led to the front door. A large, old, door made of dark wood. An old-fashioned letterbox was attached to lower section of the door's surface, while an even more old-fashioned, bronze, hand-shaped door-knocker was placed on the center of it. Putting his hands inside his worn leather jacket's pockets, the older Winchester turned to the angel.

"I'm going in, Cas," he felt the need to inform him.

"I don't think Sam will like this," came the angel's even answer.

Dean shrugged one shoulder. "He'll get over it," he answered as he took the first step to cross the low-traffic street that stood between him and his sister.

Amber was sitting in her favorite armchair with a steaming mug of coffee cradled between her palms. She was glaring at the messy room around her, when the loud knock on her door broke the silence. Smirking she got to her feet and slowly walked to the door calling out in a sing-song tone, "Someone's gonna help me clean up!"

When the door revealed not her best friend but another entirely unexpected face, though, her smile vanished and she took an instinctive step back.

"I don't mind if I do," came Dean's awkward answer as he looked at her with a pensive expression from the doorframe.

"What the hell do you want here?" Amber asked, loathing how her voice trembled slightly. "How did you find me?"

"You're not that hard to spot, kid," Dean answered. Not waiting for an invitation he took a step inside and closed the door behind him.

"I want you to leave!" Amber said as she backed up a few steps. "I'll call the police if you don't!"

Dean looked at her with a serious expression before speaking in a calm tone, "No you won't. If you did, you'd be taken into the system before you even knew it. Underage girl leaving on her own in a house that is not hers won't sit too well with the police. And you've tried hard to cover your tracks in terms of age and identity haven't you? Plus, I'm not here to hurt you. I'm your God-damn brother, I'd never hurt you."

Amber kept her guard up, but couldn't deny that her gut told her Dean was being honest. "Dude, for the last time, I don't have any brothers! Now, what do you want?"

Dean walked to the sofa and sat in it as his eyes traveled around the living space. The red paint on the windows created a gloomy atmosphere in the interior. The furniture were old and most of them damaged. Pizza boxes, beer bottles, and soda cans were thrown around and the floor was dusty. "I just wanted a word with you. Understand why you're so afraid of getting to know us."

The girl sat in the armchair she had only a minute ago vacated scoffing. "Because you're two creepy stalkers who followed me to my home and won't leave me alone?" She asked him in a mock-sweet tone as she sipped her coffee.

"Amber, cut the crap. I know you know about us," Dean said in a more curt tone now.

"How many times do I have to t…"

Amber never got the chance to finish her sentence as Dean's voice drowned her own with, "My brother is a hacker too. We know you got someone to search for us last night. We also listened in on your conversation with Ty," That was a lie, but he didn't think that having her know their friendly angel was sent to spy on her last night was the best idea. Chances were she had no idea about the supernatural world anyway.

The girl looked back at him taken aback. She bit her lower lip once not at all expecting what she had just heard. Trying desperately to gain some time and decide how she'd play this out, she brought the mug to her lips and drank a little more of her morning coffee. When she swallowed she turned her gaze to meet Dean's who was studying her intently. "Fine, I know who you are," she finally admitted. "But the fact that we share some guy's DNA does not make us family. I don't know you, you don't know me and I can't say I'm comfortable with the fact that you're here, or spying on me for that matter. I know you're wanted by the FBI and considered dead."

Now it was Dean's turn to look surprised. "We're not killers," he said after a few silent seconds.

Snorting the young girl rolled her green eyes impressively, "Right, if you say so…"

"Hey! I mean it! I can't explain this now, but I will if you give me the chance."

Amber hated the feeling of uncertainty inside her. Her self-preservation told her to not risk further contact with him or Sam. Her intuition told her she'd be safe with them. She'd belong. Her mind felt fogged and a headache started forming. Feeling overwhelmed she suddenly threw her mug across the room and it smashed across a wall.

Dean gasped surprised and remained shocked into silence as she all but screamed, "What the hell do you expect, Dean? That you'll show up here, we'll hug and become a nice happy family? Move to a cozy apartment, eat breakfast every morning? Maybe you get me to go back to school, hm?"

Feeling his own temper rising a bit Dean struggled to keep his tone in check, "That doesn't so bad, does it?" He countered. "Beats living in this shithole!"

Jumping to her feet, her eyes glaring daggers at him she said in a dangerous tone, "This shithole, is my home! The only home, I've ever had! So watch, your fucking mouth!"

Dean opened his mouth to answer but a loud emphatic knock on the door made them both turn simultaneously to the door.

Amber walked briskly to it and opened it only to meet the second Winchester for the day standing at her doorstep. "You've got to be kidding me," she said incredulously.

Sam forced a smile to aim at the girl before promptly turning stormy eyes to his brother, "What the hell are you doing here, Dean?"

"Trying to talk to little miss sunshine here," Dean said indicating with an exasperated finger the girl.

"Screw you! You don't get to come to my house uninvited and insult me! Get the hell out of here! Now!" Amber yelled at Dean.

"See, dude? That's why I f…bloody told you to give her some time! Now you've ruined everything!" Sam said in an accusatory tone as he stepped inside the house as well.

"Sam, not now!" Dean growled in what could pass as a warning tone.

"No, now! You always do this shit! Completely ignoring me, doing whatever the hell you want and then I have to clean up your fucking mess," Sam yelled angrily, not able to catch himself and not swear in front of the girl.

"Oh, you wanna talk about cleaning up messes, Sammy?" Dean countered in a confronting tone, "Cause if you do, I can recall quite a few I had to clean up for you from the recent years!"

The impressive thundering of "Will you both SHUT UP?" followed by a loud crashing sound, made both men jump and turn to look at the girl who stood in the middle of the room, seething. The boys' eyes traveled right behind her, where a mirror that was hanging on one of the walls had fallen off and crushed at the crescendo of her scream. Sam and Dean looked at each other surprised trying to comprehend what had just happened.

Amber clutched her chest as she felt it warming up. Cursing under her breath she turned her back to them and pretended to run hands through her hair, as she made sure her bangs covered her forehead. It was happening more often than ever over the last few months. Whenever her emotions went haywire, her marks would warm up and swollen slightly, like that time when she was thirteen and learned of her true nature.

When a hand gently touched her shoulder she immediately shrugged it off and turned to face the boys, hiding her hands in her hoodie's pockets to avoid drawing attention to her wrist marks.

Sam was the one who had approached her. His eyes were concerned and he gently tugged her away from the shuttered mirror's pieces that laid on the floor behind her. "You ok?" he asked in a quiet tone.

"Yeah…" Amber answered in the same manner. She felt a bit lightheaded and walked to her armchair once again collapsing into it.

Dean sat back down to the couch as well, Sam following suit. When the older Winchester spoke, his voice was gruff but calm. "I think we'd better start things over. Amber, we really only want to get to know you. Do we wanna offer you a helluva more than that? Yeah, we do, but that can wait.."

Amber answered in a tired tone, "And what can't wait, then?"

"How about getting to know each other a bit?" Sam said.

"Go ahead, then, I'm listening." Amber retorted. She wouldn't give them any information before she felt a bit more at ease around them. She wondered how much they'd share of their real lives. They couldn't know she knew they were hunters.

It was Sam that spoke first with an awkward smile on his face."We were born in Lawrence. Our mother… Uhm... She died in a fire accident when we were young. Actually, I was still a baby, never really met her. Our father… He traveled with his work a lot and he raised us alone, so we literally grew up in motel rooms and a car."

"What was his job?" Amber asked interrupting Sam.

"Military," came Dean's immediate response. "That's why we moved around a lot. Sam here got to college as well for a couple of years, but he dropped out because of a… Family emergency."

Amber watched them closely as they spoke exchanging glances. "Why didn't you go back then? After the emergency?"

Sam thought that over for a bit. When he spoke again his voice came out much quieter than it did before. "My girlfriend… She died in an accident soon after I left. It never felt right to return there."

"And why were you wanted by the FBI? Why are you listed as dead?" Amber asked again, trying to hide her amusement over their discomfort and honest attempts to hide their hunting life from her.

"That's a story for another time," Dean said decisively. "Your turn."

Amber remained silent for a few seconds. "I was given away as a newborn. Never knew my mother or father. I ran away from my last home when I was thirteen and have been living on my own ever since."

"School?" Sam asked a bit shocked with the fact she was alone for so many years.

"Couldn't attend without being forced back into the system. I enjoy reading though, and I have attended many online classes on various stuff I like." She answered vaguely.

"Like?" Dean prompted.

"Literature, visual arts, music…"

"Where did you learn to play the guitar?" Sam asked then.

"In one of my foster homes. An older kid taught me," came the simple answer.

"How did you learn about us?"

Amber thought took a few silent seconds before answering that. "My mom… She managed to hide a small note in a locket she left me. I managed to open it when I was thirteen. It mentioned my name and my… our father's. That's how I found out about you."

"How come you never reached out?" Dean pressed on.

Cocking her head to one side she answered, "The note warned me to stay away from you."

Sam's sensing tension building in his siblings quickly intervened awkwardly. "See? We can talk without screaming being involved!"

"I guess we can," Amber agreed without breaking eye contact with Dean.

"You don't work tonight, right?" Sam asked.

Turning to face the younger Winchester she asked, "No. Why?"

"I was thinking, you might want to grab a bite with us? We can come here, or take you out somewhere if you'd prefer. Talk some more, get to know each other a little better…"

Amber thought this over for a few seconds. Before she could have second thoughts she found herself nodding. "Ok, yeah. Sounds like a plan. Let's meet at the bar. I know a place close-by. It has amazing burgers and the best pie in town."

Dean's eyes jumped to hers at that, while Sam chuckled quietly.

"What?" Amber asked a bit awkwardly.

"Nothing," came Sam's answer. "It's just that Dean has a thing for pies too."

Small smile forming the girl glanced between her newfound family but remained silent. She felt overwhelmed as intense conflicting thoughts gnawed her brain. She felt happy for having the boys here, but also afraid of all the implications and risks their presence brought.

Dean clapped his hands then and got to his feet. "Ok, Sam, we need to go. We have some business to finish."

Nodding the taller brother stood as well and Amber did the same. The three of them walked to the door which the girl promptly opened for them.

After a few awkward seconds, Sam lowered and enclosed her in a brief hug before getting out of the house and down the steps.

Amber felt a sense of warmth spreading inside her at the large man's gentleness and smiled after him besides herself.

Turning to Dean she found him looking at her seriously before telling her, "Gimme your phone."

"What? Why?" Amber asked surprised.

"So that I can log our numbers in it," he answered simply.

Amber offered him her small smartphone after removing it from her hoodie's pocket. She watched him typing in his and Sam's numbers and saving them before handing it back to her. "You call us if you need anything at all, alright?" He asked her his voice gentle.

"'Kay," she answered awkwardly. "I'll text you later what time I can meet you," she added.

Dean only nodded before extending his hand and clutching her shoulder. Nodding once he turned his back and walked to his brother.

Amber quickly closed and locked her door, before leaning on it and staring at the mirror shards a few feet away.

* * *

The two brothers arrived at the Woodpecker Bar five minutes later than expected.

Dean peaked through the window, scanning the bar's interior only tot urn and shake his head at his brother, "Not here yet."

"Good. I don't like the idea of her wandering alone until we're sure Lucifer is not around," Sam answered as he leaned on the pub's wall and scanned the street.

"Well, no lead has panned out, so I guess she's safe. At least from that douchebag," Dean mumbled.

Scoffing Sam only answered, "I can't believe I am actually glad we didn't spot him this time around."

His brother refrained from answering as he spotted the brunette girl approaching from around the corner.

Amber, dressed in a khaki parka jacket, black tights, and combat boots offered a small smile as she approached. "Sorry I stood you up. I was rehearsing and lost track of time," she said in an almost apologetic tone.

Sam shook his head, "Don't worry about it. So, where to?"

Amber motioned with her head for them to follow her as she passed the bar and continued walking along the street. Her eyes kept flying around every now and then, checking how close the boys were.

"Everything ok?" Dean asked. "You seem a bit jumpy."

"No, everything's fine," Amber answered nonchalantly, but her gaze kept scanning the street and random dark alleys intently.

Sam and Dean exchanged a look but refrained from pushing her for answers at the moment. They continued walking in a companionable silence, the only sounds around them being those from passing cars and their steps on the pavement. In less than three minutes, Amber motioned for her brothers to follow her across the street towards a small diner.

The ring of the small bell that was attached to the diner's door was almost completely drowned out by the noisy environment. As the three Winchesters entered the small interior, the strong aroma of grilled meat and fried goodies filled their nostrils.

Amber smiled and greeted with a nod the chubby, middle-aged man that worked behind the counter. The boys followed her as she walked between the store's tables until they reached an empty corner booth, large enough for the three of them.

"How do you like it?" The girl asked as she sat down unzipping her jacket and getting comfortable.

"Looks cozy," Sam answered smiling.

"Smells good," Dean supplied winking at her.

A thin woman, adorned with a dark green apron and holding a small block and three menus arrived immediately, "How's it going Amber?" she asked in a high pitched voice as she handed one menu to each of the siblings smiling.

Amber regarded her a bit surprised, "Hey, Liv! I thought Jane was working Wednesdays."

"Something came up and I had to cover her shift," the woman answered sweetly. Then her eyes turned to the two men, "Friends of yours? Haven't seen them around before!"

Dean's sharp, "Old friends catching up," cut the small-talk short immediately. "How about you start us with two beers and… What d'you wanna drink Amber?"

Raising an eyebrow at his tone the girl turned to the waitress smiling apologetically, "Three beers, Liv, thanks!"

As Liv took her leave winking at Amber, Dean clearing his throat drew the girl's eyes at him, "You could get a soda, you know," he quipped.

Rolling her eyes, Amber avoided answering, "What's with the rudeness? She was only being nice."

Her oldest brother simply shrugged, "Trust issues."

Sam's forced pleasant tone intervened with, "What's good here, Amb?"

"Anything really. I like the cheeseburger best and the chicken pot-pie," the girl answered. From the little she knew her brothers she could tell that Sam was the easier one to be around. He seemed more considerate and sweet in stark contrast to Dean's much gruffer and no-nonsense attitude.

After getting their beers and ordering their food to Liv, Amber raised her glass, filled with the golden-colored liquid, towards her brothers, "Cheers," she said pleasantly.

"To meeting you," said Sam, while Dean added "To family," as they clinked their glasses together.

"So, what kind of work did you have today?" Amber asked, her eyes flying from one man to the other.

After a few silent seconds, Dean answered with a vague, "Investigating."

"Oh? So you're cops or something?" Amber pressed on, her green eyes squinting a bit.

"More like freelancers," Sam answered unable to cover the discomfort that laced his tone.

"Hm. And what case are you working on?"

"Can't tell you that. Confidentiality and all," Dean answered easily.

"Right…" Amber only commented, her expression clearly showing she wasn't buying it. "I don't really see what we're doing here if you're not willing to share any part of your life with me. How am I supposed to trust you if you lie to me?"

"We're not lying. We just can't share stuff about our work. Not yet," Sam placated.

"And to answer your question, we're here to talk some more, decide how we're gonna do this," Dean added.

"Do what?" his sister asked back, eyes narrowing.

Dean immediately answered in a confident tone. "Us. How we'll do us. I mean, you're clearly underage, and since we're your relatives we're responsible for you…"

"You're not my relatives, not legally anyway," Amber interrupted him in a sharp tone not liking where this was heading.

"I don't give a shit about the law. We're family. You're our sister. We're responsible for you," Dean answered in an even tone. "You'll come and live with us. We can support you, protect you… You can have a life where you're not the adult, you won't have to work, you can go to school…"

"Get my GED, secure a place in a good college, find a job, a decent man, get married, make babies…" Amber tucked on sarcastically. "We're not playing in some stupid family flick, Dean. I've been alone for too long. I don't need anything from you, and I certainly don't plan to start playing house with the two of you."

"Amber, look, we're not trying to impose anything here, but you need to think this through. You can't keep living like this," Sam intervened.

"Why not?" she shot back.

Sam tried to keep his tone pleasant as he attempted to get her to see their point of view. "Because it's not safe. And it can't last. You live under a fake name, illegally working at a bar, trying to pass for an adult when anyone can easily determine you're far younger than that…"

Dean interrupted his a brother with a curt, "And just how younger? How old are you? And don't even think about lying to us!"

Eyebrows rising she asked, "Why shouldn't I, Dean? What will you do? Call the cops? I'd like to see you try. I'll kindly supply your identities and guess who will be prioritized, the runaway foster kid or the FBI's most-wanted-playing-dead dudes?"

"Amber…" Dean growled.

But Sam's calm voice stopped him from going on, "We all know you're not gonna do that. You put your name out there for a reason. I did my research, kid. I know you're not listed as a Winchester. So why start using that name now?"

"Because I was a runaway and couldn't use my own," Amber answered curtly.

"But you said your mother warned you to stay away from us," Sam countered. "Why not come up with a fake name and use that? No, Amber, let's all start being a bit more honest here, ok? You obviously chose to use our name in hopes of getting to know us."

Amber felt a bit thrown by his strong tone and serious gaze. Keeping her calm she answered, "If I wanted to meet you I could easily seek you out, Sam."

"That would be the logical thing to do, yeah. But as you said, your mother warned you against doing that. So you probably thought you'd best leave things to chance, right?" Sam asked back.

At Amber's lack of response Dean piped in, "Why did your mom tell you to stay away?"

Amber lowered her gaze to her nails and started picking on one of them. "I don't know. It was a small note, not many details."

"And that right there is a lie," Dean commented drily.

Liv's arrival made them seize their talking. As the woman placed the plates on the table she leaned in close and whispered something to the girl.

"Hey!" Came Dean's bark.

Liv turned cold eyes at him and her lips pursed into a thin line before clutching Amber's shoulder for a second and then walking away.

"What'd'she tell you?" Dean asked his sister immediately.

Amber turned stony eyes at him, her expression storming with anger. "Cut the third degree. I've known Liv for years."

"You can't trust everyone," Dean countered. "And definitely not some random waitresses."

Sam turned questioning eyes to his brother. He was more on edge than usual and that made him wonder why and worry at the same time. In a more placating tone, he turned to his sister, "Dean is just worried over your safety."

"Dean should find other things to worry over then," Amber answered curtly. She turned her gaze to her food and felt her temper rising. All the conflict and stress, that the meeting of her brothers had aroused in her, finally surfaced. As the heat in her chest started rapidly developing, she grabbed her jacket and stormed out of the diner without so much as a word or a glance back. She could hear Sam's and Dean's loud movements as they shot up to follow her, but she couldn't risk remaining in the diner causing some kind of weird damage that she could never logically explain.

She ran and turned to the closest corner that led to the store's back alley. She could hear Dean and Sam yelling her name. The intense energy that was building up inside her finally erupting caused a strong light to shoot out of her and made a couple of rubbish bins a few feet away explode.

"It seems, the rumors could be true, after all…" she heard a familiar voice. Her temples were throbbing, and she was out of breath as she turned surprised eyes to the voice's direction. A thin frame emerged from the smoke the small explosion had created.

"Liv?" Amber asked bewildered.

Sam and Dean turned on the corner right on time to see the woman's eyes turning pitch black as she took a step closer to the girl.

"Liv's not around at the moment," the demon in Liv's body answered promptly.

Eyes enlarging, Amber stepped backwards on trembling feet. Her head snapped around when she felt bumping onto someone, but relief washed over her upon spotting Dean moving in front of her and Sam standing close behind her.

"Aw, isn't that cute? Your big brothers to the rescue," the demon chuckled. As the last words left her lips, three more figures emerged from the darkness behind her. "Remember, boys, we need her alive," she instructed her companions smiling.

Dean's urgent whisper of "Cas!" was barely heard.

As the demon's approached and started attacking, her brothers quickly responded. Amber remained watching shocked as they dodged the onslaught and managed to keep her out of the line of fire and away from the demons at the same time. It was a few seconds later that a raincoat adorned man jogged to them, a silver blade at the ready.

"Take her to safety," Dean yelled as the knife he was holding was forced into one of the demons' chest, causing him to flash red before falling dead on the ground.

Amber felt the man grabbing her and tugging her along as they sprinted like crazy to a nearby car. Castiel opened the passenger's door and all but shoved the girl in before getting behind the wheel and speeding off.

"What… Where are you taking me? Who are you?" She asked in a hoarse tone as she brought her arms to hug her torso.

"You're safe. Demons can't enter in this car. Don't worry," Cas answered glancing back at her.

"Demons…" Amber repeated. She knew of their existence but she had never saw one in person before. "Where are we going? Who are you?" She asked again uneasily trying to catch her breath.

Cas turned his blue eyes to her as he promptly answered, "I'm taking you to your brothers' place. We're close friends. You don't have to worry, I can protect you, I am Castiel, an angel."

* * *

Sam rubbed forcefully a wet piece of cloth trying to remove the blood stains from his face, as Dean's foot pressed on the Impala's gas pedal forcefully.

"What the hell was that? Why were they after her?" Dean asked through gritted teeth.

Sam shook his head as he answered, "Maybe we should have captured one of them, get some answers."

"No. We couldn't risk that. You heard what they said. They wanted her alive. We couldn't have any of them returning to hell or to whoever sent them," Dean countered.

"How did they know?" Sam asked.

"I'm guessing same way we did. Spotted her name. Then saw us here. Maybe even the other night at the Woodpecker…" Dean offered.

A few silent seconds passed before Sam asked hesitantly, "Do you think she blew up the bins?"

Dean gripped the steering wheel tighter, his knuckles turning white, "I doubt it. It was probably the demons' doing."

"But you remember what happened with the mirror at her place," he countered. It was not a question.

"I don't know, Sam, ok? I don't know what to guess or make out of this. And she's so damn stubborn. She's hiding something, that's for sure."

The car curved to the entrance of the motel. Dean parked it without much care and jumped out of the Impala along with Sam. They jogged to their room and burst inside, sighing relieved upon seeing the girl curled up on the edge of the couch with Cas standing close by.

Dean made it first to Amber. "You ok?"

Amber met his green eyes as she shook her head. She had decided to play it dump. She couldn't explain knowing about supernatural without raising suspicions. "What the hell happened? Who… What were these things? What the hell is going on? This creephead here tells me he's an angel… What the fuck is going on with you people?"

Dean exchanged a quick look with Sam before answering plainly, "Those things were demons. We're not regular investigators. We're hunters. We hunt creatures like those things, creatures who hurt people." He paused to gauge her reaction.

"There's no such thing… That's impossible," Amber said and let her voice tremble. She didn't find it hard to show distress. The presence of the angel behind her had her petrified with fear.

"It is the truth, Amber," Sam chimed in as he sat beside her and placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. "Demons and angels, like Cas here, and so many other things like vampires, ghosts, and werewolves are unfortunately very real."

"But… But why me?" She asked. She feared the brothers might have learned something by the demons and she needed to know how safe her secret was.

"We have no idea. We guess they saw your name and then spotted us together. We are not popular with these guys. The probably wanted to hurt you to get to us," Sam said evenly.

"Unless there's something else you're not sharing," Dean piped up.

"Dean!" Sam growled. "Now's not the time!"

Dean shook his head and used his index finger to turn his sister's face to look at him, "Now's the perfect time. If there is something about you that you're not sharing, now's the time to fess up. We can't protect you if we're in the dark," Dean said seriously.

"There's nothing… I… What could possibly…" Amber trailed as her eyes flew from her brothers to Cas and back again.

"Amber, we're not the enemy, love. It might've been a coincidence but we noticed the mirror breaking when you were upset this morning, the bins exploding today…" Sam tried.

She shook her head hard. "What are you talking about? How could I possibly break mirrors or make bins explode?"

"By being a witch?" Dean asked impatiently.

"A what?" Amber asked taken aback. Shaking her head she all but yelled, "I'm not a fucking witch!"

Dean glanced at Sam and then at Cas who was wearing a pensive expression.

"Right. I will trust you're honest with us, but Amber, if you're lying about this, if you risk your own safety through lying, I'm gonna go crazy-big-brother on you and trust me, you won't like that version of me!"

Amber nodded not really paying much attention to his threat. He wouldn't have much of a chance to be her older brother after all. Not with an angel hovering sround them. "So, what now?" she asked in a low voice.

"Now, we get you out of here. It's not safe. If someone else is in the know, then they'll come sniffing after you. You'll have to come with us. We can keep you safe," Dean said seriously.

Amber remained silent for a moment. She had imagined that would be their response and she had already thought of a way out. But she had to make sure they'd buy her cooperation. Turning wet, scared eyes to Dean and then glancing at Sam as well she nodded. "Fine, I guess I can lay low with you guys for a while…"

The brothers sighed in relief. "Right, we'd best hit the road, then," Dean said immediately.

"No, wait!" Amber said jumping to her feet. "I need to get home, gather my things!"

Dean shook his head, "Amber we don't have the time for that…"

"No, you don't get it! The only thing I have left from my mom is there. I'm not going anywhere without my locket and my guitar," the girl said immediately.

"Dean, come on. Grabbing her things won't take long. It will only take a few minutes and Cas will be with us," Sam told his brother before he could object.

When the oldest Winchester finally nodded his agreement, Amber felt her heart skip a beat. One step closer, she thought.

* * *

The Impala came to a slow stop in front of the house's entrance.

When Dean opened the car's door, Amber said in what she hoped passed as a worried tone, "Dean, wait. How about, you two stay here. Keep an eye out for anyone approaching, and the car running. I'll get inside with Cas. If there's trouble he can protect me."

Dean looked at Sam who shrugged in a 'why not' expression.

"Sounds like a plan," Dean granted after a few seconds of contemplation. "Go ahead, and be quick about it."

Amber shot from the car and ran to the front door with the angel following suit. She'd have a single opportunity of making her plan work and she couldn't fuck this up.

"Is it safe?" She asked Cas as they walked inside.

"Yes, we are alone," The angel answered.

Amber nodded and started up the stairs, the man following closely. She entered her room and opened her bedside drawer. She retrieved the locket and made quick moves of putting it on. She also grabbed her leather journal. Turning to the room's built-in closet she walked briskly to it and opened its door. Cas was standing at the door-frame watching. She grabbed a backpack and pretended to throw in clothes.

In a stealthy move, she retrieved the small pocket knife that was laying on the bottom of the backpack. Taking in a deep breath she made a large cut on her palm and refrained from vocalizing any pained utterances. She dipped a trembling finger in the blood and hastily drew the sigil she had memorized for over a year now on the closet's inner wall.

Castiel tilted his head and took a step closer as the girl seemed having stopped gathering things and he wondered if he should prompt her to hurry up. Seeing her crouched with her back turned to him, he hesitantly called her name as he attempted to take a second step towards her.

Before he had the chance though, Amber slapped her bleeding appendage on the freshly drawn sigil's center.

An intense light flashed in the room and when she turned her head around, the angel was gone.

The young girl closed the backpack hastily, ran back downstairs, opened the back door and sprinted away. She had made it.

* * *

**A/N: Comments are always welcome and much appreciated! Please take the time to drop a line :)**


	4. Sly, Sly, Sly, Like A Demon's Eye

**A/N: As this is a pretty fresh story for me, feedback would help so much! A big thanks to the two people that have already reviewed the first two chapters, it means a lot! As of now I have no more chapters completed! You have officially caught up with me. I'm already working on chapter 4 but I have no idea when it'll be done. Kudos, Comments and Bookmarks make me happier than you could ever know :)  
**   
**Till next time!**   
  


Title Credit: Lyric from the Deep Purple's song: Demon's Eye (Album: Fireball 1971)

 

* * *

 

Dean rapped his fingers on the steering wheel nervously, "It's taking too long," he commented mostly to himself. A good ten minutes had passed since Amber and Castiel had entered the house.

Sam nodded, "I know. But she needs this time. She has to leave her whole life behind, Dean."

When Dean offered no response the only thing that broke the heavy silence was the classic rock music playing softly in the background from the Impala's radio. The sudden ringing of his phone made Dean frown as he saw Cas' number appear on the screen.

"Cas?' He immediately answered as Sam's eyes turned to him questioningly.

"She's gone!" Castiel's voice sounded urgent.

"What the hell? What are you talking about? Where's Amber?" Dean barked as he changed the phone's mode to speakerphone so that Sam could hear as well.

"She's gone! She used the sigil. Cast me out!" The angel explained in an annoyed tone. "I am not sure of where I am yet but I'll find a car and head to you as soon as possible."

Sam did not wait for anything else to be said, he jumped out of the car and ran to the door, taking his demon knife out. With a hard kick, he managed to break the old front door open and he started walking inside carefully. Dean followed close behind him. They scanned the lower and upper floor to find it completely empty.

Returning to the base floor, Sam's eyes flew to the guitar case that was laying on the couch and he moved to open it with swift moves. The guitar was still inside. "She probably left in a haste. Forgot this," he quietly stated.

Dean shook his head as he rubbed a hand over his face, "Didn't want it to slow her down, most likely. Sammy, we gotta think fast here. She doesn't have a car, so she's probably on foot."

Sam nodded and then his head snapped up to look at his brother with an urgent expression taking over his characteristics, "Ty!"

Dean looked back at him questioningly.

"Ty, Dean! Cas told you that she was here with some guy named Ty!" Sam explained impatiently.

His brother nodded and the two Winchesters brothers exited the old house. Sam opened the back door and deposited Amber's guitar case inside before getting in the front passenger seat and turning on the laptop that rested in his backpack.

When Dean sat behind the wheel he quickly called the angel again. "You're close?"

"Close enough. Already heading there. I can be at the house in two hours." Castiel answered.

"So she didn't zap you off too far away?"

"No, probably it was her first time using the sigil. I'm not too drained either," Cas answered.

Nodding Dean continued, "Ok. We'll drive around searching for her for now. The moment you're here call us to tell you where we're at. Sam is trying to locate her phone as we speak." With these words, he started the car.

 

* * *

 

Amber felt her lungs burn and sharp pain under her right-side ribs. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had to run so fast and for so long. As Tyler's house appeared at the end of the road that she was currently rushing through, she gritted her teeth and pushed herself even more to cover the last few meters.

She pushed the front gate that led to the small garden quietly and panting made her way to the side of the house. She leaned on the wall and took in a few deep breaths before she turned around and started climbing the sturdy trellis that climbed up the west wall allowing easy access to Tyler's window. Once she reached it she peeked inside and cursed when her friend was nowhere to be found. Testing the window she sighed with relief at finding it unlocked. After sliding it open and climbing quietly inside, she took a few seconds to remove her shoes and take the first timid steps into the boy's space. She walked to the door and cracked it open placing her ear on the small creak. The television could be heard playing downstairs but other than that the house seemed quiet. Closing back the door she took out her phone and unlocked it.

Her eyes enlarged at the number of missed calls from both of her brothers' numbers. So they had already caught up with the fact that she had run away, she thought. Making sure the silent mode was activated she texted Tyler to check where he was. His short answer that he was at his girl's house came soon after making her sigh in relief. Maybe it was better this way. She needed a place to gather her mind and think of her next moves, but she didn't want Tyler to be put in any kind of danger.

She walked to the boy's walk-in closet and stepped inside. The smell of freshly laundered clothes offered her some sense of safety as she slid on the floor in the small dark space.

Her mind traveled to the angel. Now both he and her brothers would know something was up. They'd know she had played them and knew about the supernatural world and all it held. She thanked her luck for having spotted that supernatural forum about a year back. It was the first time her scars had acted up and she had caused a car's windows to shutter. Frightened, she had started desperately searching for ways to hide from angels, in case one had spotted the unusual activity.

The Ghostfacers website offered mainly ghost stories and failed attempts to capture paranormal activity, but also had some limited sections on witchcraft and demonic as well as angelic creatures. That's where she had spotted the sigil the first time. After some further research in other websites dealing with the supernatural world and questions to a couple of hunters she met at the Woodpecker's, she had learned that if it is drawn with fresh blood it supposedly casts angels away.

She couldn't know how accurate any of this information was but she had memorized the sigil anyways and always kept a small knife on her in case she had to make use of it. Today was the first time she had the chance to try it and she was more than happy it had actually worked.

A short vibration in her pocket snapped her out of her thoughts. Glancing at the screen she saw a text from Sam. 'You're not safe on your own. Tells us where you are and we'll come get you.'

Almost smiling at the sincere concern of the words she locked her phone without answering and closed her eyes. Although there was a chance they would indeed help her if they knew the truth, she simply could not risk it. For all she knew, they might turn her in to the angels for termination or even kill her themselves. She ignored the voice inside her that screamed at her to trust them. That same voice had screamed at her to trust every single adult she had ever met and that hadn't really turned out so good for her up to now.

Her mind traveled at the demons. Their words of keeping her alive… What could they possibly want from her? How did they even know of her existence? Her thoughts gradually trailed as exhaustion slowly took over her restless mind.

The loud crush and short scream from downstairs brought Amber back to consciousness with an audible gasp. Her heart racing, she shot out of the closet and backed up towards the window. Glancing down she spotted Tyler's parents running to their car.

Her head turned to the room's door as she heard footsteps approaching. Moving to Tyler's desk she started emptying his pencil cases and opening his drawers trying to spot anything that could help her defend herself. Finding a pair of scissors she grabbed it and glued her eyes at the door. She watched the doorknob turning slowly and the wooden surface being pushed.

A tall male figure emerged from the other side. Upon spotting her his lips turned upwards into a sickening smile. "Well, well, well. Look who we've got here," he said in a low tone as he took a step inside the room.

"Stay back!" she said steadily, although her hand that clasped the scissors was trembling intensely.

"Now, there is no need for that, lovely. I am only here to chat," the man said and put both of his hands inside his black coat's pockets. As the last word left his lips his eyes turned pitch black for a second before returning to their original state.

"What do you want from me?" Amber asked desperate to buy some time as her mind raced on how she could possibly escape.

"To take you to someone who can answer that question. You see, lovely, we happen to suspect that you're more than what meets eye. And we have great plans for you," the man's cold voice stated as he took a step closer.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Amber replied. "I am an ordinary person, I have nothing to offer you." Her voice cracked as the next words left her lips, "Let me go, please."

The man shook his head, "No need for tears, miss Winchester. You are far from ordinary. In fact, you are the second most important being on this earth right now. We can protect you from angels, from hunters…"

Amber's eyes enlarged at the figure that silently approached from behind the man. The Demon noticed her gaze and turned around sharply only to be stabbed with Castiel's angel blade. Amber watched as the demon screamed and a red flash shined through him as he died. Her eyes turned terrified to Castiel who retrieved the bloody blade from the demon's body.

"How… I… I cast you away!" She mumbled, her eyes glued to the silver weapon in the man's clutch.

Castiel lifted a placating hand, "That was a couple of hours ago. I am not going to hurt you. I don't know why you thought you had to get rid of me, but I am only here to offer my protection, Amber. I am with your brothers. I'd never do anything to harm you."

"You say that now, but…," Amber whispered, but never managed to finish her sentence. As loud steps sounded on the stairs. Seconds later both Sam and Dean appeared on the room's door their eyes traveled from the bloody blade in Cas' hand to the laying body on the floor and to the pale looking girl.

Dean let out an audible breath upon seeing his sister. Walking purposefully to her, ignoring Sam's calling his name warningly, he grabbed her by the shoulders and scanned every inch of her as he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," she said in a hushed tone.

Dean's jaw clenched and he simply nodded, "Good." Letting go of her shoulder and grabbing her right arm, he swiftly turned her to the side as his right hand rose and landed sharply five times on her leggings-clad behind.

The sound of the smacks echoed through the room like gunshots. The moment the fifth one landed Dean brought the hand he used to smack her to clutch the back of the girl's head for a second, before he gently released her and held her at arm's length, "You never run from us again. Am I clear?" He asked in a deadly serious tone.

Amber was left looking at him dumbfounded. "You…" She uttered but couldn't bring herself to form the words. She couldn't believe how fast the events of the last minute had played out and how she was now standing in front of her displeased older brother having received what she could only describe as a little child's outdated punishment. Feelings of embarrassment and anger battled with relief and a sense of safety in the presence of the boys.

Dean's much sharper of "Am I clear?" made her start as she only managed to nod. Dean hugged her briefly again before turning to the other two, hand still clasped around the girl's shoulder, "We need to go. Now."

Amber crouched to the floor and grabbed her boots making quick moves of slipping them on and zipping them closed. She then followed Dean grabbing her backpack from the spot on the bed where it laid.

The Winchester brothers got into the Impala while Castiel moved to another car parked a few meters away. Amber slid inside the car. It was only then that she spotted her guitar. Small smile forming she turned to Sam who was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

"Thanks," she offered in a quiet voice.

Sam's lips turned into a tiny smile of his own as he simply shook his head, "No problem."

The Impala roared into life and Amber turned to look at Tyler's house. Her heart clenched at the realization that she'd might never see her friend again.

 

* * *

 

Amber had no idea for how long they were driving. Her phone had died a little over an hour after leaving Reno. She had fallen asleep and woken, heard her brother's talking quietly every now and then and even joined in some chit-chat attempted by Sam to break the heavy awkward silence. It was the second time she woke up after having dozed off that she found the Impala finally slowing down and descending to what looked like an underground garage.

Once the car was parked, she followed the boys' lead and opened her door. She pulled one arm through one of her backpack's straps and grabbed her guitar case along with her jacket with the other, before walking along with Sam and Dean towards a heavy looking metal door.

Dean unlocked it and pushed it open to reveal what looked like a large balcony that overlooked a spacious, open room that held a large table with a world map drawn on its surface, some chairs and multiple chests of drawers that looked like they held documents. On the one side of the room, several old looking machines with buttons and switches rested against one of the walls.

"This is the Bunker. Our home," Dean declared, as he motioned with his hand for the girl to descend the stairs.

Amber started walking down the steps carefully taking in the space around her.

"This is the war-room," Dean said as he stepped next to her. "Over there up those few stairs is the library," he said pointing to the right direction.

When the girl nodded her acknowledgment, Sam added, "Bedrooms, kitchen, and bathrooms are downstairs. Let's go find you a room, C'mon," and motioned for her to follow him.

Amber walked closely to Sam on the dimly lit corridor. The upper level of the bunker held tall windows and she could tell it would offer sunlight during the day, but here they were obviously underground, which made her feel a bit uncomfortable.

Sam glanced at her and noticed her knuckles whitening on the hand that clutched her backpack's strap on her shoulder. "You'll get used to it real soon. It's the safest place to be. It has wards against all supernatural beings from demons to angels and everything in between."

Amber glanced at him as she asked, "So your angel friend cannot be in here?"

"Cas? No, he can because we have revealed the location to him. If someone is granted access by us they can transfer from and to here. But Cas is like family, you have nothing to worry about," Sam smiled reassuringly.

The girl nodded but refrained from answering."On your right hand are all the bedrooms. On the left side of the corridor, there are bathrooms, 1 for every two rooms. Since we're the only occupants we can each use one for ourselves. At the end of the hall, there is a fully equipped gym." As they passed a room with the number 11 on it Sam pointed a finger to it. "This is Dean's room, and mine is ten doors down, number 21. The kitchen is in room 23. You can choose whichever you want from the rest."

"Are they any different?" Amber asked in a flat tone not attempting to open any of the doors yet.

"No, they're all exactly the same. Double bed, bedside tables, bedside lamps, a dresser, a small cabinet on the wall and a desk," Sam said smiling almost apologetically. Then he quickly added, "You get comfortable in anyone you like for now and after a couple of days we can go shopping and get you anything you like to make it feel more like yours, how does that sound?"

Amber shrugged and mumbled a quiet "Sure, whatever," before moving along the corridor and opening the room's 16 door. She regarded it and placed her guitar case and jacket on the floor by the open door, without stepping in. Then she slowly walked to the other side of the long hallway and opened one of the doors to check inside. Happy that the bathroom was directly across from her door, she turned to Sam, "I think I'm ok now. Thanks."

Sam nodded once and pointed his finger down the hall, "Try to get some sleep, it was a long night. I'll be in my room, wake me or Dean up if you need anything at all, okay? You get some rest and we'll talk tomorrow."

Amber again only nodded before entering the bathroom and closing the door behind her. She reached on her right and flipped the light switch, which showered the room in a dim gloomy blueish light. She let her backpack fall to the ground and walked to the small sink. Running the water she splashed her face a couple of times allowing the cold sensation to somewhat calm her nerves. Deciding a shower would help her calm down a bit more, she turned to a cabinet on one of the room's walls and opened it in search of towels. She smiled upon spotting a rather large-sized bathrobe. She always wanted one but had never indulged herself in buying it.

Taking off her clothes she threw them in a small grey laundry hamper and moved to the shower. She fumbled with the faucet until the water ran as hot as she liked and stepped into it allowing the almost scalding water run over her. After a minute she felt tears running down her cheeks and her shoulders started heaving intensely. All the tension of the day slowly left her body through her violent crying and the hot, humid atmosphere of the small space. Making sure she made no sound she slid to the tub's floor and hugged her knees close as she let loose all of her pent-up pressure. It was twenty minutes later that she felt stable enough to stand again. She grabbed a shampoo bottle and made quick moves of washing her hair and body as the last sobs slowly died down.

Wrapped in her bathrobe she grabbed her backpack and slowly opened the door glancing outside. Glad none of her brothers was currently on the hallway she ran to her still open door and closed it behind her. She walked to the bed smiling softly at the fresh sweatpants and t-shirt she found waiting for her on her bed. Sitting on its edge she glanced around the small space and couldn't help but wonder for how long this would last.

 

* * *

 

Sam walked as quietly as possible along the corridor. He paused out of Amber's door and cracked it open. His heart skipped a beat upon finding both the bed and the room empty. Turning to the bathroom he knocked lightly twice but got no answer in response.

Walking more briskly now he quickly got to the upper level of the bunker glancing around every room he crossed. Upon entering the library he let out a long breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Amber was lounging in one of the armchairs, legs dangling over one of its arms and back propped up on the other.

His eyebrows furrowed slightly as he spotted her cradling a bottle and sipping from it. Clearing his throat he approached and sat on the armchair right next to her, "Couldn't sleep?" He asked evenly.

"Nope," the girl replied before taking another sip of her beer.

Sam regarded her for a second and as soon as she lowered the bottle from her lips she gently took it from her grasp and placed it on a bookshelf close behind him.

"Hey!" Amber called looking at him incredulously.

Sam shook his head his expression even, "You've had more than your fair share of underage drinking, it's about time you slowed down a bit."

The girl rolled her eyes impressively but refrained from answering. She let her hands rest on top of her belly and started chipping the nail polish on one nail absentmindedly.

"So what kept you up?" Sam asked.

The girl glanced at him in her signature annoyed look before asking, "Are you seriously asking me this? I met my only family, got demons hunting me, had to leave my home in the middle of the night and moved to some sort of zombie-apocalypse lair for hunters. Take a pick…"

Sam grimaced a bit as he leaned back in his armchair a bit more comfortably, "I know it's a lot. But we're gonna find out what this is all about. It's what we do. And we're pretty good at it," he added the last words smugly.

"You got any theories or what?" she asked glancing at her brother thoughtfully.

Sam smirked a bit. "We got the theory that whatever you're hiding from us could very well be the answer, or at least offer us enough of a lead to find out the answer."

The girl lowered her gaze and thought of Dean's words when they found her at Ty's house.

"I am not comfortable with telling people about me or my past. And I have a hard time trusting anyone. That's why I ran," she offered in a quiet tone.

Sam felt his heart clench at the words. "I can understand that. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you to practically raise yourself. All the moves, then living on your own…"

"I was so angry when I learned about you," she told him after a few silent seconds. "When I got the… Uhm… The note that you existed and that I had a father… I researched like crazy and I still remember the moment I saw that John was already dead. It felt so unfair, that I could be part of a family, a real family and yet for some reason I couldn't. I shouldn't. That's when I ran away."

"Why?" Sam prompted. "I mean, why did you ran away why didn't you approach us?"

"Because I was tired of lies and half-truths and hoping for a forever home or family. The one I had, I was supposed to stay away from. The people who fostered me couldn't care less about me. I just realized I had to be my own family. And I couldn't just sit on my hands anymore. I was scared but I was also eager to leave everything behind and be on my own."

Sam looked at her for a minute. "You know, even though we typically had our dad, we were practically in a similar situation."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "You don't have to try to make me feel better about my life, Sam."

"I'm not. I'm serious. Our mother's death was not an accident. It was caused by a demon. My father after that night lived solely for revenge. His whole life revolved around finding out who that demon was, why he had done it and how he could kill him. We became second priority to that. He developed this drill-sergeant attitude, trained us to hunt and defend ourselves before he considered teaching us the alphabet. He was the strictest man to be around, doling out discipline and punishment over every minor misstep because he feared if we didn't grow up to perfect soldiers something sinister would get us…"

"He doesn't sound too nice…" Amber commented.

"He had his moments, but generally he wasn't. So, me and Dean, we had to make the most of each other. And trust me I was the younger one, had it so much easier. Dean was practically raising me before he had turned ten himself. That's why his big brother's instincts kick in so intensely. It's his second nature."

Amber felt her cheeks heat up at that. "He used to hit you too?"

Sam offered a side smirk, "He used to spank me too when I screwed up yes. Our father did too. You can't be raised in this life without discipline. Our father took it too far sometimes. Dean managed to find a very reasonable middle ground, even though he had known nothing but John Winchester discipline himself."

Amber glanced back at Sam. "So this is the way you handle things in here? Smack around whoever disagrees or does something you don't like?"

Sam shook his head not losing his small smile. "If that was the case I would have smacked you around for drinking the beer, wouldn't I? No. We do rules around here. Rules are there for our safety. And it's our rules, not our father's. We're not out to get you. We just want to make sure you'll be safe and get the chance to grow up and enjoy life."

Scoffing lightly she shook her head, "I'm afraid you can't do much about that."

"We're pretty hard-headed. Once we decide we're gonna do something we always see it through. And I get the feeling that you're pretty hard-headed yourself. And a total badass for having made it alone all these years. You're gonna fit right in. If you give this a chance."

Amber's gaze met her brother's and did not weaver as she said, "I'll give it a chance if you give me my beer back."

Snorting Sam shook his head. "Not gonna happen. You're sixteen. I don't expect you to never have a beer until you're of age, but from now on you have to ask me or Dean for permission to drink one."

Amber shook her head and stared at her hands, "That's stupid. I have been drinking beer for more than two years now."

"Exactly my point," Sam answered immediately. "You had nobody to care about your health up to now, I get that. But now you do. And we're here to stay, Amber."

The girl's intense gaze met Sam's for a few seconds. She didn't acknowledge or reply to his words but she contemplated them. Finally breaking eye contact she maneuvered her body in a sitting position and slowly stood. "I'm gonna try to get some sleep."

Sam nodded and offered her a soft smile, "Yeah. Do that. We can talk later."

Amber nodded once before turning her back and padding on sock-clad feet towards the stairs that led on the lower level. Arriving in her room and laying down on her bed she turned on her side and curled up a bit. Her thoughts traveled to her conversation with Sam and she realized she couldn't remember when was the last time someone had checked up on her or spent so much time talking. As she slowly drifted off to sleep her mind found some peace for the first time in quite a few years.

 

* * *

 

Dean walked to the still closed door of Amber's room for the second time that morning. Deciding that since it was closing to noon it would be ok to wake her up he knocked on her door twice.

The girl looked up from her notebook and closed it hastily as she looked at the door surprised. People rarely knocked in any of the houses she had spent any time in. "Come in," she called out.

Dean entered and was surprised to see his sister sitting on the desk when he expected her sleeping, "Hey, morning! I thought you were still asleep," he said.

The girl shook her head making her loose ponytail to sway lightly. "I've been up for a couple of hours now," she told him.

"Oh, well you'd better come to grab some breakfast. You don't need to be cooped up in here all day long. C'mon we got coffee and food waiting," Dean informed her and motioned with his head for the girl to follow him.

Amber promptly secured the small notebook in one of the desk's drawer, before standing up and following the oldest Winchester.

Sam smiled when his siblings entered the room. Amber looked even smaller swimming in the too big for her sweatpants and t-shirt.

The girl glanced at the table with an expression close to shocked, "We expect company?" she asked as her eyes traveled over the different platters holding pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, and toasted bread.

"I didn't know what you liked for breakfast so I decided to make a bit of everything," Sam answered smiling.

The girl sat down slowly and took a plate in front of her as she muttered, "You didn't have to go through so much trouble, I'd be fine with some cereal, really."

Dean shook his head, "It was no trouble. It was nice actually, having someone to take care of. Cas doesn't really eat. He doesn't have to at least…"

Amber looked up at that as she deposited a pancake on her plate and reached for the Nutella jar, "Is he here?"

"Not right now," Sam supplied. "He'll be back later though."

"Sweet tooth, hm?" Dean asked smiling a bit as he noticed the girl only opting for pancakes and spreads.

Amber nodded grimacing a bit, "Yeah, I can't do eggs and meat stuff in the morning." Taking the first bite from her pancake she turned to Sam approvingly, "These are really good!"

The tall man smiled, pleased with himself. "I'm glad you like them. You want some milk?"

Using a hand to cover her mouth as she chuckled loudly the girl looked at him incredulously, "Milk? Really? No, but I'd love some coffee!" At Sam's thoughtful expression her eyes enlarged, "Come on! Not coffee too!"

Dean glanced between them not really following but got up and retrieved the full pot from the coffee machine and filled a mug for Amber winking at her, "He's a bitch with health n' eating crap, you'll get used to it."

Amber managed to drown her chuckle as Sam's annoyed "Dude!" echoed in the room.

"Need any sugar in that?" Dean asked as he promptly ignored his brother.

The girl shook her head and took a long sip from the caffeinated beverage longingly. "So, what's next? What are we gonna do to find out about the demons?" She asked after another second.

Dean sat back to his chair and tilted his head towards her before saying in a steady voice, "Glad you mentioned that. Start spilling, and no more lies."

Amber held his gaze for a second then turned to Sam but realized he expected some answers just as eagerly as Dean did. Bringing to her mind the story she had thought of yesterday in great detail she took in a deep breath and started speaking, "My mom was a witch from Norway. She had a lot of enemies as she was powerful. I have no idea when or how she met your father, but once she had me she made some powerful spells binding my powers so that they would never manifest and that I could never practice magic. But I have no idea what the demons want from me."

Dean regarded her intently, "How do you know all these?"

"From my mother's letter. She left it with me locked in a locket charmed to open when I was thirteen. She mentioned your father's name there, that's how I found out about your existence. She also told me to stay away from you. I imagine because your dad and you were hunters. She might fear I'd be in danger in your hands," Amber answered immediately.

Sam glanced at Dean. "So why would hell want her?"

Dean countered, "And why now, with the devil on the loose?"

Amber's eyes flew from one brother to the other at that, "Who's on the loose?"

"The Devil," Dean answered wincing at the kick he got from Sam under the table.

"The devil?" Amber asked incredulously.

"Lucifer himself," Dean nodded seriously.

"God…" Amber only said quietly her brow furrowing.

"No, He's actually gone," Cas' voice sounded next making all three of them jump.

"Who?" Amber asked dumbfounded.

"God. You just mentioned Him, didn't you?" The angel asked matter-of-factly.

"What? You thought heaven and hell with their angels and demons were real, but not God and Luci?" Dean asked.

"Well, yeah actually, that's exactly what I thought," Amber answered still trying to wrap her head around it. "I tried to learn about the supernatural world but never really managed to infiltrate any circles. I learned everything I know mainly from the internet and a couple of hunters I met last year at the Woodpecker."

Sam chuckled shortly at that. "Most of the crap online is just that, crap."

The girl brought the cup of coffee back to her lips not commenting on her brother's words.

"Which hunters did you meet?" Dean asked.

"Greg and Josh Jarvis. Father and son."

"I think we've run into a Greg Jarvis, haven't we Sammy?" Dean asked his brow furrowed as if trying to remember.

"Yeah, during a vamp case I think… But I don't remember a son."

"Josh is just a couple of years older than me. He's only been hunting for a little over two years now," Amber clarified her tone growing a bit tight.

"Got anything Cas?" Dean asked turning to look at the angel after a few silent seconds.

"No. I bumped on a few demons but got nothing yet," the angel replied.

"Well, that leaves us with little choice," Dean said as he turned to Sam.

"No! Dude! For all we know he might be behind this!" Sam reasoned.

"No, we'd know. He'd have tried shit earlier. He'd bust our hunt and in Reno for sure," the older Winchester replied.

Sam nodded after a few thoughtful moments. Crowley always went after what he wanted and if he wanted Amber they'd have already heard from him.

"Uhm, who are we talking about?" Amber asked cautiously not sure she wanted to know the answer to that.

"Crowley, the king of hell," Cas supplied immediately in his usual flat voice.

Sam turned to look at him incredulously, "Dudes! She's just getting into this! Take it slow!"

Dean snorted at the reaction but turned to Amber to see how she was handling all the new information, "You ok?"

"That's a legit question, Dean?" Amber asked her voice laced with uncertainty. "And why are you considering to invite the king of Hell over, when it's demons that are after me?" She asked her eyes turning more worried with every second.

"Hey, hey," Dean immediately placated. "Calm down. We should have begun by telling you that Crowley is sort of like a… How do you kids call it these days?"

"Frienemy?" Cas supplied. At the shocked looks he received back he added, "What? I studied millennial slang to be able to understand Claire."

Dean raised both his eyebrows for a second and then completely ignoring the angel turned back to his sister, "He is not an enemy anymore. He has offered his fair share of help from time to time and he is as eager as us to get rid of Lucifer so that he can have his precious Hell back."

Amber bit her lip as she asked back, "You think the devil is behind this?"

"It would be my best guess at the moment. Although I can't know why. That's where Crowley comes in. He's still got some pull down there. He might find out something."

Amber closed her hand around her warm mug uneasily as she stared her eyes' reflection in the dark liquid. Part of her knew that it was a close call. If that Crowley guy learned what she was and told her brothers, Cas would learn as well and she might end up dead before the next morning. Yet she couldn't be sure they knew about her true nature. How could they after all?

"No matter what, you'll be one hundred percent safe. We won't allow anyone to harm you. Crowley's mother is a powerful witch too. Once we find out what all this is about she might be able to unbind your powers and teach you how to use it," Sam tried, sensing her uneasiness.

The girl glanced at him once and nodded, "Ok, yeah. I mean, you know best how to go about this. It's what you do, right?"

"The family business," Cas called out from his spot.

Three pairs of green eyes snapping at him made him close his mouth and turn to leave the room as he called behind his shoulder, "I'll gather the ingredients for the summoning."

 

* * *

 

Amber sat in the armchair she had occupied earlier that morning. She had brought her legs to her chest and watched as Dean and Cas made their way into the library. Sam was standing next to her, one hand clasped on her shoulder comfortingly.

Dean glanced at her and winked reassuringly earning a small smile in return. "Ok then," he mumbled, as he turned his attention to the bowl filled with various ingredients in front of him. He took a matchbox and lit a match before promptly throwing it into the bowl. As the flame crackled around the materials an average height man in a dark suit appeared in the center of the room, making Amber jump. She watched him dust off his suit and turn his twinkling eyes to meet her brother's.

"Hello, boys," He said in a pleasant tone. As his eyes traveled to Sam and spotted her for the first time a smirk developed on his face, "And girl, as it appears." Turning back to Dean he asked, "Who is this lovely young thing next to moose?"

"You tell us," Dean answered curtly.

"Oh, Dean you never learn, do you? Don't dive right into it, foreplay is called foreplay for a reason," Crowley said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets his smile broadening. His eyes turned back to the girl and then each of the brothers. "Now, call me crazy but I spot some serious resemblance around here. Who's been naughty, boys?"

Dean rolled his eyes before stating, "Spill it, Crowley. What'd ya know?"

"You mean about your youngerish sister being chased by certain Hell's occupants?" the man answered innocently. At Dean's growl, he only chuckled, "Hold your horses, Winchesters. I know that the demons invested in this are Luci-followers." He then stepped towards the girl and smiled at her offering a hand, "Pleased to meet you, darling."

"Get away from me," the girl spat angrily.

"Ooh, nice job little Winchy," The man commented as he lowered in front of her seemingly trying to make eye contact. "I see they already taught you how to bark. It will be no time till you're covered in flannel…"

When Amber raised her hand to clasp Sam's one on her shoulder, Crowley promptly caught it and brought it close to his eyes inspecting the faded mark on her wrist. Making direct eye contact with the girl he tilted his head and promptly turned the palm around pecking the back of it, "Charmed, Amber Winchester," was the only thing he said.

Amber tugged her hand away but her eyes kept the man's gaze wondering if he knew what the mark was.

"Back off, Crowley," Sam called angrily.

"Easy moose, I just happen to have manners. Now considering it was you guys who called me here, it's really your turn to spill. What's with the kid?"

"You think we'd call you if we knew? We got nada. We wanna learn, though," Dean answered curtly.

"Ah, so I'm here so that you guys beg for my espionage, am I right?" Crowley subducted amused.

"We never beg Crowley. If Lucy is behind this, you need the info as much as we do," Sam countered.

"I'll see what I can find out. But give me something. What is she?"

"What?" Amber questioned angrily. "It's a who, you filthy piece of sh…"

"Oh, how I like it when women talk dirty," Crowley chuckled. "Hold your tongue, little miss. I happen to be your sole leverage at the moment. So how about you tell me instead of them? What are you?"

Amber growled low in her throat but offered through clenched teeth, "I'm a witch."

"Her powers are bound though," Dean added his eyes never leaving the demon.

"A witch?" Crowley asked disbelievingly. "You really bite that Lucifer would go through so much trouble while he struggles to stay hidden over a mere witch?"

Sam's brow furrowed and his lips set in a thin line.

Dean looked at Crowley with narrowed eyes, "It seems so, Crowley. We need to know why. Is this yet another attempt to get rid of us? Or is there something more?"

"You give yourselves way too much credit. Lucifer would not so much as blink in worry over you and moose. If he's after her she has something to offer him in terms of the only thing he seeks…" Crowley trailed off.

"Power," Cas talked for the first time.

Crowley's eyes glinting he only commented, "Aren't you the brains of the gang, Feathers! Anyway, can't really fight my altruism. I'll notify you when I got news. Don't do anything stupid till then," the man said and with a snap of his fingers, he disappeared.

 

* * *

 

Amber was laying on her bed, notebook in hand taking down notes fervently. Everything she heard, every single lie she had said, all to great detail. Her life might depend on it and she had to make sure she had all the facts right. The knock on her door made her start. Closing the small leather-bind book and tucking it behind her under her pillow she answered, "Come in."

Sam poked his head in and smiled, "Um, dinner's ready. Will you join us?" At her reluctance, he immediately added, "Please?"

Rolling her eyes at the effect the puppy dog eyes of an extremely tall individual had on her Amber nodded and stood up to follow the now smiling Sam to the kitchen.

Dean was already there stirring something in a pan. He turned his head smiling, "Hey, kid. Grab some forks and plates will ya? Top drawer and far left cabinet."

Amber gathered the requested utensils and set the table quickly before sitting down next to Sam. Dean approached with a large platter of cooked pasta and a bowl of salsa.

Nobody spoke for the first few minutes, but Amber noticed it was not the kind of heavy uneasy silence, like yesterday night in the car. It was an easy one, almost companionable.

Without having to be asked when her brothers finished she stood and grabbed the plates and took them to the sink before sitting back down at the table with them.

"Any news from the douchebag?" She asked.

Sam shook his head, "Not yet."

After a few silent seconds Dean's question of "Never have I ever?" broke the quiet of the room.

Both Sam and Amber turned to look at him surprised.

"What?" Sam asked.

"I was thinking that we know too little about each other. Let's play. It will be fun, we'll share stuff, it won't be too mushy-gushy…" Dean shrugged.

"With real drinks?" Amber asked raising an eyebrow.

"No, Amber, we get beer shots you get soda shots," Dean answered.

"Aw, come on guys!"

Dean promptly stood and brought shot glasses, the soda bottle and a couple of beers. He filled each glass before looking at Sam, "Go ahead Samantha," he called in his bring-it-on tone.

Narrowing his eyes Sam promptly called the first sentence. "Never have I ever quarreled with a pigeon."

Amber looked at Sam dumbfounded but her eyes enlarged when Dean grumpily drank the first shot of beer. "Ok, what now?" she asked incredulously.

Sam grinning widely rushed to explain, "Back in 2013 we were working a case and Dean drank a certain potion that woke the animal in him. He could talk to animals, he quarreled with a pigeon, barked at the mailman…"

Amber's laugh rolled in the kitchen stunning both brothers. It was the first time they saw or heard her laugh and its effect was instant. "Barking to the mailman?" she asked through a last fit of chuckles.

"And trying to play fetch," Sam eagerly added.

"Yeah, yeah, ok Samantha, my turn! Never have I ever left my brother abducted by aliens to f... be with a chick," Dean said smugly, catching himself before using the "f" word in front of the kid.

Sam's smile turned to a furious blush but he gulped down his shot and refilled it, "I'll never live this down," he grumbled.

Amber found herself seriously enjoying herself but as her turn approached she really had no idea what she could say to somehow get them, "Ok, this is totally unfair, you got dirt on each other!"

"Well give us some dirt on you then," Dean prompted smiling.

"I can't give you dirt on myself, Dean. Let's do this differently. You call the never-have-I-evers and we all drink accordingly. If you want dirt on me, be more generic. It's bad enough I can't drink for this..." the girl said.

"Fine ok, ah… Let me think. Never have I ever kissed a guy," Dean said looking at her with raised eyebrows.

Amber smiled widely and drank her soda. "I'm 16, not 13!"

Sam smirked at Dean's sour face and tacked on, "Never have I ever get wasted."

"With booze?" Amber clarified making Dean spit the beer he had just attempted to swallow.

Sam's eyes enlarging a bit he only nodded and remained watching her gulping down her shot as he also drank his own.

"I'll so get sugar high from this," she commented pleasantly.

"When could you possibly get wasted? You're 16!" Dean asked trying to play it cool.

"A few months back really. Ty had a fallout with a girl the same day I broke up with the guy I was seeing and we drank our sorrows away. Not a fun morning next day. What about you? When were your first times?" she asked nonchalantly. She had felt apprehensive in the beginning but she wanted to see just how much they could bear to know about her. She couldn't explain why but she felt the need to push them to their limits.

Dean smirked at that. "I was 14. So, there is this amazing rock venue in New York. Dad was working a case there but he hated New York, so he did not allow us to go out. But there was no way I'd miss visiting that place, you know? So I went and it was crazy. There were people drinking and snorting and doing all kinds of crap, a huge guy screaming on the stage, and then this girl comes up to me and invites me to her table. I got so drunk I couldn't pronounce my name."

Sam, smirking, commented, "Until dad found him, that is."

Amber raised an eyebrow and turned her eyes at Dean, "You got busted?"

"Little got past John Winchester, kid. He somehow found me. Came to the table, barked a 'Dean Winchester' in his scariest voice… Everyone at the table, including me, froze. Long story short, I got my ass handed to me the next morning along with a long-ass lecture on being drunk and how dangerous it is," Dean finished the story smugly.

"And you?" Amber turned to Sam.

"I was 16. I used to butt heads with the old man all the time. So he had pissed me off over something I can't even recall at the moment. I snuck out well past curfew wanting to scare the hell out of him. I went to a nearby bar and got wasted with beer."

"Wasted with beer?" Amber asked disbelievingly.

"I didn't have enough money for hard liquor, so yeah… Plus, it was my very first time drinking, it didn't take more than five or six if I remember correctly. So, I manage to leave the bar and find the way to the motel. And then I can't manage to sneak back in from the window. Dean wakes up from the noise, as we shared the room, and tries to sneak me in quietly. And that's when dad opened the door, seeing me doubled over the window frame singing lowly and Dean trying to drag me in," Sam finished his eyes glinting slightly at the memory. "Same fate to Dean's New York fiasco awaited me the next morning."

The girl grimaced a bit, but also noticed the nostalgia in the brothers' voices and their fond smiles, which she found somewhat bizarre considering the way both stories ended.

"So, you've ever done drugs?" Dean suddenly asked looking at the girl with a serious look now.

"What we're done playing already?" Amber asked back avoiding the question.

"C'mon tell us. We're not trying to get you, just would like to know what's happened in your life. And the way you asked if Sam meant alcohol, bugged me a bit, to be honest," Dean said evenly.

Amber bit her lip but held his gaze, before nodding slowly, "I've smoked a bit of weed at times, but that's it," she finally said looking intently into her oldest brother's eyes. "What about you?"

Dean shook his head but his eyes flashed to Sam's uncomfortably for a second. Amber moved her gaze at him a bit taken aback. If she had to guess which of the brothers would be more susceptible to drugs, she'd have gone with the oldest.

Sam flushed lightly and offered a small embarrassed smile, "I was addicted to a sort of drug, a few years back. It was a really dark period of my life and a certain demon offered to help. I believed her."

Amber could tell he wasn't feeling like talking about it anymore so she didn't press on, "I'm glad you're ok now, Sam," she answered simply.

"Thanks, Amb."

"So I think it goes without saying that those days are far behind us. All of us," Dean stressed the last words looking at Amber.

The girl cocked her head to the side, "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked curtly.

"It means that you're not allowed to get wasted anymore. Not with alcohol and not with drugs," Dean answered in the same tone.

Amber shook her head a sarcastic smile forming, "And here I thought you really wanted to spend bonding time together, playing and shit."

"We did, Amber. Since something as serious as this came up though, we just need to make sure you understand it's not something we'll turn blind eyes to," Sam intervened.

"Look, you've only been here for a day and for now there is not much you can really do, not until we know for sure who's after you and why. But one major rule that will always apply no matter what, is safety. You keep yourself safe. And to do that you need to be sober," Dean added.

"Yeah, 'cause if the devil in the flesh decides to take me down, the deciding factor of who will win will be my sobriety," the girl countered sarcastically.

"We're gonna train you to defend yourself, to use weapons, basic hunting tricks, everything we deem helpful for your safety. But you will, in turn, take care of yourself and obey the rules. For now, it's only three. Don't lie to us, always tell us where you're going when leaving the bunker, keep away from drugs, alcohol and putting yourself at risk of your own making. Simple as that," Dean countered.

Amber looked at him straight in the eye, "So, I can leave the bunker if I want to?"

"Not for now, but yes you will eventually. We don't expect you to stay locked up in here all the time," Sam answered that. "Look, don't worry too much over all of these for now. We'll take this day by day. We know this is not an easy transition. We just want to make sure you get the most out of this, Amber."

The girl clenched her teeth but nodded. This had not gone the way she had expected. Not one tiny bit. Getting to her feet she turned her back to them and started walking towards her room throwing a curt 'night, behind her shoulder.

As she entered her room and closed the door behind her she grasped the guitar that was laying on the bed as she sat herself down on its edge. Her fingers starting moving along the instrument with speed and intensity. Staring at the wall opposite to her the feeling of being trapped gradually returned. Her thoughts traveled to Crowley and she feared what he might learn and share. Slamming her palm on the center of the chords to stop the vibrating sound, she felt her chest heating up and quickly let go of her favorite instrument. She lied on her bed and concentrated on her breath for a while managing to bring the boiling energy down to a simmer.

When she scooted in a sitting position on her mattress she heard her cell phone vibrating. A number she didn't recognize appeared but she picked it up anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hello darling," Crowley sounded on the other line.

"How'd you find my number?"

"Does it really matter?"

Amber felt her heart rate speed and her irritation increase at the demon's smugness but opted to let it go for now. "Got anything?" She asked.

"I did. Some rather interesting news, really. The problem is not everything adds up and I would very much like your input."

"Why did you call me and not them?" Amber asked, as her brow creased suspiciously. If it was input that Crowley wanted then she was definitely not the one with much to offer.

"Because you're quite obviously hiding everything from the bloody idiots and I happen to have gained a certain interest in your story," Crowley answered. "You see, my mother is the most powerful witch alive at the moment and I happen to know just enough about witches to be able to tell a real one from a fake. And you, love, you're most definitely a fake."

"What did you learn, Crowley?" Amber asked impatiently.

"I think you know. Those symbols do quite the job of keeping you under lock and chain, or Feathers would have known already. You see he can see demons, angels and all supernatural beings in their true form. So you, dear girl, have got some powerful mojo on you," the man said conversationally.

"Why is the devil after me?" she asked.

"He needs your Nephilim heart," Crowley answered matter of factly.

Amber was shocked into silence at that. Her lips opened and closed a couple of times without any words leaving them before she managed to utter, "He needs my heart?"

"Yes. He plans on reclaiming heaven and playing God, but I don't have the specifics or how your heart fits in that story."

"But… I am sealed. I don't have any powers…" Amber tried to reason.

"That doesn't change the fact that you're a Nephilim, darling. And if he needs the heart of one, then you're his only choice right now. You see, you're the only one Castiel and his harp-clutching mates haven't killed yet."

Sheer terror engulfed Amber after that statement. His brain felt numb and her mouth suddenly dry. Devil wanted a heart -whatever that meant- only she had to offer, while a murderous angel was her brothers' roomy.

Crowley smiled contently sensing her increasing fear. Knowing he had almost made it he finally made his offer. "Come with me. I'll take you to my mother. She can study the magic used on you, see if she can alter it. With your powers, you stand a chance against him. Without them, you're doomed."

"Sam and Dean, they…"

"Sam and Dean are hunters. I know their brotherly bond makes you crave to be treated as one of them, but there is nothing they would ever let come between them. And especially not a supernatural something. You're the shiny new toy that they want to play house with, but soon enough they'll learn what you're truly are. Do you know what hunters like to call Nephilims and similar half-human creatures? Abominations. Don't let me start on Cas. He is an angel after all," he said and allowed some dramatic silent seconds to pass. "Come with me and I can hide you from everyone. I can stop Lucifer, but to do that, I need you. Win-win for both of us!"

Amber bit her lip and contemplated her choices. She didn't know the man for more than a few hours, and he was a demon. But then again she didn't know her brothers for more than two days and they had a pet angel. She felt drops of sweat forming on her forehead and her breath grew shallow. Closing her eyes she tried her hardest to assess the situation logically, as she knew that the decision she'd make could very well lead to her death. Death. As that word crossed her mind the image of Cas and his blood dripping blade immediately emerged. Ignoring the feelings of guilt and uneasiness about her brothers, she finally asked, "How do I come to you?"

"Summon me. I can't teleport to that damn place."

"I don't know how to."

"Check if the summoning bowl is still at the library. If it is simply throw in a new match. If not, call me and I'll walk you through it."

Ending the call, Amber moved to her feet and carefully exited her room. She could hear Sam's, Dean's and now Castiel's voices from the kitchen. She padded quietly along the corridor and to the upper level, directly into the library. The bowl was still there and so were the matches. Lighting one she promptly threw it in and waited.

Seconds later a smiling Crowley appeared. He extended a hand and Amber apprehensively linked up with him. A second later the large cozy library remained still and empty.

 

* * *

 

 

 


	5. Saved in The Nick Of Time

**A/N: Hello dear readers! Let me start with a huge thank you to those that spent some valuable minutes of their time to leave a comment or offer their kudos and follows. It feels great to know there are some people out there that actually enjoy this! I managed to finish chapter 4 and even made edits on chapter 1. Reading chapters again with a fresh eye after leaving them alone for a couple of days apparently helps! I spotted many mistakes I could have avoided and I apologize for that. From now on I'll be doing more edits leaving a couple of days in between them, even if it means longer waiting period for you guys, so that the posted chapter is at its best possible version -considering I still don't have a beta (again, if anyone is interested in betaing this for me I'd be so so grateful!). I'll do my best to re-edit chapters 2 and 3 as well before I post chapter 5.**

**Enough of my blubbering. Please let me know how you liked this chapter :)**

**Title Credit:**  Lyrics from AC/DC's song: Nick of Time ( Album: Blow Up Your Video. Released: 1988)

* * *

It was close to midnight when Dean walked up to the door of room 16. He stood there for a few seconds, before quietly knocking on the wooden surface.

When he received no answer he called, "Amber?"

He stared at the door for a while before knocking again, a bit louder this time.

At the persistent silence he simply shook his head and called through the thick material, "Amber, I'm coming in."

As he walked inside her room it took a few seconds for his brain to register that it was empty. Feeling his stomach churning uncomfortably he immediately exited the room again.

"Amber!" He called urgently, as he loudly knocked on the bathroom door. When no answer came from there he rushed inside only to find it empty as well. Blood slowly draining from his face he hurried along the corridor and towards the stairs yelling her name again.

"Dean?" Sam asked as he stepped out of the kitchen, with Cas following close behind.

The oldest Winchester simply rushed to the stairs and all but ran to the upper level, eyes scanning the war room and then the library.

His hands flying to his hair he turned to Sam and Cas, who had just jogged into the room. "She's gone!"

Sam scoffed at that and shook his head."She can't be gone, Dean!"

"Oh, yeah? Then where the fuck is she? Not in here, not in her room..." Dean said in a raised tone.

Sam looked at Cas swallowing hard as his mind started racing. "Ok, don't panic! Cas check the garage, Dean let's go check the rest of the rooms," the youngest Winchester proposed.

When the brothers returned to the war room a few minutes later, they saw Cas leaning against the large table and shaking his head. "All the cars are there, but she is not," the angel informed.

Dean's hands slammed hard on the table's surface, while Sam pinched the bridge of his nose trying hard to think clearly and calmly. "Ok, we need to move. She can't have gone far and there is nothing around here for miles. Let's split and scout the area," he proposed.

Not wasting a single second the three men moved to the garage.

* * *

Amber walked as fast as she could, rubbing her palms together vigorously in a vain attempt to warm herself up. "Where the hell are we?" She asked through rattling teeth scanning at the snow-covered, wooded area around her.

Crowley paused for a second and glanced back at her as realization hit him. "Apologies my dear, I keep forgetting you're merely a mortal these days," he quipped as he removed his woolen coat and helped her wear it. He watched as the girl wrapped it tightly around her and then continued, "We're somewhere in Canada."

"Canada?" The girl asked shocked. She knew the man could literally snap his finger and get her anywhere he wanted to in this world, but the reality of how far from home she was, caused a surge of uneasiness and worry to start building up inside her.

"Quite right, yes. As I told you my mother happens to be a witch, in more ways than one, really, but that's beside the point. She has a sort of "bat-cave" of her own up here. It's similarly warded with your brother's but quite prettier really," the man replied.

"Why didn't you get us right in then?"

"I just told you, darling. No demon or angel can waltz in unannounced. Not even Lucifer himself. I promised you you'd be safe, didn't I?"

Not having a retort to that, Amber simply stared at the beauty of the woodland that surrounded them. The numerous and tall pines blocked the night sky from her view and the thick layer of snow drowned out most of the sounds creating a soothing atmosphere she rather enjoyed. The crisp smell of wet trees and the dark green branches covered with thick layers of snow slowly relaxed her.

"There we are," Crowley said as they approached a large clearing in the otherwise thick forest. Numerous stars could be seen in the dark and cloudless sky above the naked slot of land and Amber held her breath at the view. Never in her life had she seen so many stars.

As she marveled at the view above her she almost jumped surprised, when she suddenly found herself walking on a stone path that led to an impressive, thick, wooden door of a stone, two-story house, that wasn't there a few seconds before. Pace slowing down a bit, she followed Crowley as he approached and opened the impressive double door for her.

"After you," he smiled to the girl as he held the door open and gestured towards what looked like a cozy parlor.

Amber took a hesitant step inside and jumped slightly at the heavy thump that sounded as Crowley closed the door behind them.

It was right then that a female figure emerged from the hall on their right. Amber tried hard not to allow surprise to show in her features. The woman that gracefully approached looked nothing like what she imagined the powerful witch and mother of the hell's king would look like.

"Amber, dear, so nice to finally meet you," the woman said in a distinct, non-American accent.

Amber hesitated a bit before extending her hand to clasp and shake the pale, thin appendage the woman extended.

"Um, yeah… Nice meeting you too," the girl mumbled.

"The woman smiled warmly as she retracted her hand and gestured for the girl to follow her, "I am Rowena. You make yourself at home, love. Here's the living room and over there the kitchen and a small bathroom. Are you hungry, love?"

"No," Amber answered immediately as she glanced at the cozy living room they had just entered. A large fire was crackling in the stone fireplace illuminating the room with its warm, orange light. The girl walked to a leather armchair that rested closest to the fireplace and promptly curled up in it, still tugging Crowley's coat tightly around her.

The man glanced at the girl once, before heading to a rustic bar-table at the corner of the room. "Something to drink, then?" He promptly asked as he poured himself some bourbon and looked at her questioningly.

"I wouldn't say no to that," Amber said in a quiet tone. Her mind was racing and she felt rather unsure of what she should expect from her two hosts.

Crowley poured a second glass without any further comment and offered it to her before leaning against the fireplace and facing her.

Rowena sat on the sofa closest to Amber and watched her intently for a few seconds. "So from what I'm hearing, lass, you've found yourself in quite the situation, haven't you?"

"According to your son, I guess I have…" Amber answered quietly looking at the woman's eyes intently.

Clicking her tongue once the woman commented almost pleasantly, "Having been on Satan's radar, I can tell you, love, it's not a nice place to be. And it always leads to pain and death."

Amber managed to hide her fear at the witch's words, before quipping, "Dunno… You seem pretty alive to me."

"Yeah, well, not a whole lot of creatures are powerful enough to resurrect themselves, now, are they?" The woman answered raising an eyebrow.

Not having an answer to that, Amber took a sip from her drink and glanced between the woman and Crowley. "How can I know I can trust you?"

Crowley offered her a crooked smile. "You can't, my dear. But right now We're your only chance. Plus, if we wanted you dead I'd have killed you in the forest and none would have ever found a body. I certainly wouldn't have invited you for a drink in my mother's secret lair. We're here to figure out how to help you."

The man's tone was even and pleasant. It made Amber want to believe him. A sense of reassurance ignited in her. It was different than what she had felt with Sam and Dean. With them, she felt, oddly enough, safe. With the mighty king of hell, she didn't feel safe per se, but rather at ease. His energy and aura made her relax more and more and somehow trust him, even though a low whisper in her brain kept telling her to keep her guard up. Yet with every passing second of his presence, with every word that left his mouth the whisper faded more and more until it was muffled in the depths of her subconscious mind. "Why is he after me?" She asked the question that burned her the most.

Cocking an eyebrow the man quipped, "Satan works in mysterious ways. Truth is we're not sure. Your kind though is rare and unique. The fact that we don't know what he could do with you doesn't mean he doesn't have a plan. He is hiding and plotting. The fact that he risked his coverage to get you means you're very valuable to him."

The girl bit her lip nervously but didn't answer. What could she say anyway? The few things she knew about this crazy world were limited to ghost hunting stories, vampires, werewolves, and angelic sigils.

"How about you tell us your whole story, Amber?" Crowley proposed. "It might give us some further insight..."

"You probably know everything already. John had a fling with my mom -an angel- and she ended up pregnant. They contacted a weirdly talking witch, who helped them hide the pregnancy and by using my mother's grace sealing my powers away when I was born. They sent me in the future and just a couple of days ago I met Sam and Dean," the girl answered without thinking it twice.

Rowena looked at her shocked. "So it was your mother that was an angel?"

"Yeah…" Amber answered furrowing her brow. "Why so impressed?"

The woman schooled her features immediately. "Nothing, I just thought you were Mary's daughter, is all."

At Amber's suspicious eyes she added hastily, "Brilliant idea, really. Sending you forth in time I mean."

"Yeah. To diminish the chances of someone linking me to John and eventually to mom."

"How did you learn about who you really are?" Crowley asked, his gaze fixed on the dancing flames.

Amber shared with them the story of her thirteenth birthday and the research she did after that to spot her family.

"So none of this would have happened if you had never used your real name," the demon commented when her story ended. Turning his eyes to look at her he added, "That bloody name. It's like it's cursed."

"Yeah, I guess so. But I did use it, and now we're here. You got my story. Now give me your promised solution. What are we gonna do?"

A crooked smile forming Crowley raised his glass to her, "We're gonna unleash you, that's what we're gonna do, Amber Winchester."

* * *

It was six in the morning when Sam entered the war room again. Dean and Cas were already there. His eyes enlarged when he saw his brother's blood-stained shirt. "Dean? What happened? Are you alright?" He asked worriedly as he rushed closer to the older Winchester.

Dean nodded reassuringly. "Yeah, I spotted a demon next town over. I had to make sure he didn't know anything so we spent some quality time together before I killed him. He didn't appear to know anything."

"I had no luck either. Are you sure you don't want me to let the other angels know and be on the lookout?" He asked looking at Dean.

"No way. We can't risk drawing attention to her existence yet," Dean countered.

"But, Dean, is there really a point? Crowley already knows. Lucifer probably knows…" Cas tried again.

"Exactly. Having hell on her tail is more than enough. I won't have heaven's dickheads chasing after her as well," Dean insisted.

"I agree with Dean. I am almost certain she hasn't told us the truth about what she really is," Sam tucked on.

At the bewildered look his brother sent his way, Sam continued in a hoarse voice, "It's mainly something that Crowley said… I can't get it out of my head. He was right, Lucifer would not go after a young witch with bound powers. Why would he? If he needed a witch he'd be after Rowena," Sam reasoned.

"What are you saying, Sammy?" Dean asked his tone thick with worry.

"All I'm saying is that our sister is certainly not a witch…"

"Wait…" Cas' voice sounded then. When the brothers turned to look at him, they found him deep in thought with his brow furrowed. "The rumors," he trailed glancing at the brothers.

"What rumors?" Dean asked.

Sam's brow wrinkled in thought as he nodded. "It crossed my mind, as well," he told the angel.

"What crossed your mind?" Dean asked exasperatedly.

"The rumors about the unholy pregnancy… The Nephilim…" Sam said quietly as his eyes filled with worry.

Dean shook his head, "No, it can't be. Don't you remember what the angels said? She should be almost 30 years old…"

"Yeah the age part doesn't add up, but it would make sense, Lucifer being after her," Sam reasoned.

Realization hitting him Dean's eyes enlarged in fear. "The heart of a Nephilim…" He trailed.

"Main ingredient to kick everyone out of heaven…" Sam completed his thought.

"And have it all for yourself…" Cas continued.

Dean shook his head in an attempt to clear it. "It still doesn't make sense… She wouldn't exist, there's no way angels would allow for a Nephilim to be born, right? That's what you said that night at the bar…"

Sam sat on the edge of the table nodding his agreement. "Yeah, chances are they wouldn't. Unless the parents managed to somehow hide the baby and her power. I know it's far fetched, but we've seen far fetched things too many times to not consider the possibility, Dean."

"If that is true, we need to keep her hidden from Heaven for as long as possible," Cas commented immediately. "And we need to find her, fast."

Dean looked at the angel helplessly, "I'm all out of ideas, Cas. So if you have any way for us to spot her do let me know."

"Rowena!" Sam said suddenly.

Dean turned to look at him questioningly.

"Rowena, Dean! We'll have Rowena search for her. She shares the same blood with us so she could be located with a blood spell!" Sam explained hastily.

Dean did not waste time in offering an answer, instead, he quickly took his phone out and made the call.

"Had a wet dream with me again, Dean?" came Crowley's voice from the other side of the line.

"Amber's gone," Dean said in a clipped tone. "We need Rowena to locate her!"

"Yeah, that will have to wait…" Crowley answered immediately.

"You piece of sh…"

"Watch it, Dean, it sounds like I'm your only choice yet again, doesn't it?" Crowley cut him off. "Since when is the girl missing?"

"Midnight! And hell's seeking her! We need to find her now!" Dean boomed on the phone.

"I'm afraid mommy dearest is not on my radar these days. But I'll do my best to locate her and get back to you. It's the best I can offer."

Taking in a deep breath and managing not to swear at the demon Dean only answered an angry, "Fine. Call in an hour tops to let us know. We'll try to get a hold of another witch in the meantime." After ending the call he turned tired eyes to Sam and Cas. "So, where could we find a witch?"

* * *

Crowley walked briskly yet quietly towards the small library of the house, which Rowena had turned to a small witchcraft lab. He found her over a bowl chanting lowly as her eyes scanned an old grimoire that rested open on the chaffed surface of an old, black table.

"They know she's missing," Crowley informed the woman before closing the door behind him.

The woman opened her green eyes and regarded her son thoughtfully. "The blood she offered me confirmed it. She's a Nephilim indeed."

"And one coming from a female vessel," Crowley commented with a pleased expression.

"Yes, Fergus, quite the addition to your grace collection," his mother commented drily rolling her eyes.

"And a sure path for that damn red-eyed pain in the ass to claim heaven and play God," the demon said looking at her with raised eyebrows. "He can't have her. We're doomed if he does."

"I know! I'm trying to make sense of the binding work. It's very elaborate, I need time if we want to break it safely," the witch answered as she smoothed out her loose red hair.

Crowley shook his head. "We don't have time. The Winchesters are seeking a witch, right as we speak, to locate the Nephilim. They called me to ask for your help in locating her. If they find her in here with you and me, we'll have a serious problem," the demon said seriously.

"If you want her grace, you're gonna have to wait, Fergus. If I do something wrong, it could kill her," the woman said crossing her hands across her chest.

"I'm willing to take the chances. Do I want her grace? Of course I do! It's the most powerful weapon existing at this point on earth. It could be my greatest leverage against Lucifer! But what's most important is that she does not fall into his hands. Her life is not important. Even if you fail in safely extracting it, she still won't be Lucifer's asset. Win-win!"

Rowena's eyes darkened but she could only nod her agreement. "How much more time do I have?" She asked.

"An hour."

Her expression grim she nodded. "Get out of here until then. Let me work. Wake her up and bring her in when it's time to attempt the unbinding."

Behind the closed door, Amber stood frozen, as the last of Rowena's muffled words traveled through it. She had woken up a few minutes ago and had attempted to seek the woman. It was a mere second before her fist connected with the wooden surface of the door, that she heard Crowley's voice. Deciding to listen in instead of knocking, she had placed her ear against the wood, and taken in every word of the short conversation, slowly feeling dread and panic numbing her. In a matter of seconds her adrenaline kicked in and she bolted from her spot to the still open door of the room that Rowena had let her sleep in, after their talk in front of the fireplace. She closed it immediately and all but threw herself back under the covers trying her hardest to listen if Crowley was walking towards the room.

When almost a minute passed and nobody appeared. She let out the breath she was holding and felt tears trickling down her cheeks. How could she be so stupid? How could she have trusted them? As the stress levels rapidly raised inside her, she felt all the warning signs of an energy burst. Willing herself to calm down she took in the deepest breaths she could and felt the heat slowly dimming in her chest and forehead.

Sitting up in her bed she stared at the opposite wall and tried hard to clear her mind from the panic and think over her options. She knew nobody could teleport in or out. And she knew that Crowley would come for her in less than an hour. An idea suddenly hitting her, she stilled a gasp and jumped to her feet. She quickly headed for the discarded coat that she had removed before getting to bed last night. Reaching in the left pocket she took out her phone and unlocked it with trembling hands. The old witch might have thought to hide the place from all supernatural beings, but Amber doubted she could have done anything about cellular data. Turning on her GPS signal and pulling up her maps application she almost cried in relief when the small dot with the coordinates appeared on the screen. After screenshotting the image she hastily typed in her messaging app a short text: ' _Rowena and Crowley have me here. They plan to unbind my powers and possibly kill me in about an hour. Help!'_  She hit the send button, after attaching the image, and let a breath of relief out when she saw the small check mark appearing next to the text bubble, indicating the message had been sent to Dean successfully.

The smile on her face quickly disappeared though, upon realization of where she was. No matter how fast her brothers moved, there was no way they could be in Canada in time to save her ass.

Eyeing the window she quietly moved close to it and eyeballed the distance to the ground below. She considered jumping, but that would mean a broken leg in the best case scenario and a broken neck in the worst.

It was almost two minutes later that her phone vibrated and she quickly tapped on the smart device's screen to read the received message. "Stall. Help is coming."

* * *

"Gagnon, Wilson, and Martin are on their way to her. I've told them they're to save the sister of a friend of ours from a demon and a witch," Sam managed to get out of his dry throat.

Dean ran both hands over his face as he mumbled, "I can't take this, Sammy. What if they don't make it? God, I can't handle this!"

"Don't think like that. They're seasoned hunters. They're gonna make it. Amber is smart. She'll find a way to stall..." Sam tried to reassure his older brother, yet his own tone held little confidence.

"You booked us a flight?" Dean asked not commenting on his brother's words.

"The earliest possible which is not until noon," Sam answered.

"So now what?"

"Now, we wait," the younger brother answered, trying hard to calm his racked nerves.

"I just… How? How could Crowley get her?" Dean asked.

"She probably went out of the bunker, and he spotted her?" Sam proposed. Then his expression turned from unsure to shocked as a thought crossed his mind. He jumped to his feet and jogged to the library. He immediately spotted what he was looking for. He reached the the summoning bowl in two wide strides and peered inside. Exhaling sharply through his nose and pursing his lips in a thin line, he grabbed the bowl and returned to the war room. Slamming the wooden object on the table's surface he asked in a quiet angry tone, "How could we be so stupid? How did we neglect to check this earlier?"

Dean followed his angry gaze initially perplexed. When he finally noticed the second burnt match inside the bowl he turned to Sam in sincere disbelief. "She summoned him?"

* * *

The raspy sound of her breathing and the sound of snow crushing below her feet broke the silence of the forest. Her legs were aching from the cold and effort and she couldn't bring herself to walk any faster, nor was she sure that she was walking towards the right direction. She thanked her lucky stars that she had managed to sneak out of the old house's back door undetected but she had the constant feeling someone was watching her.

"Getting some fresh air, aren't we?" Crowley's voice suddenly sounded.

Amber jumped at the sound of his voice and attempted to run, but the man snapped his fingers causing her to fall on the ground.

Amber turned to face him as she desperately tried to scoot away from him but found she couldn't move a single inch to any direction.

Shaking his head the man squatted to her level, "Now, now, Amber. That's no way to treat your hosts, is it? How could you possibly consider leaving without saying goodbye?" With these words, he reached out and easily scooped the girl up in his hands, throwing her over his shoulder. Amber found she had no control over her body and couldn't hold in her scream of sheer terror.

"No! Let me go! Let me go, please!"

Crowley clicked his tongue disapprovingly as he kept walking briskly towards the house. "No need to be so dramatic, little miss. I thought you wanted your powers freed as much as we did!"

"Fuck you! I heard you and that whore talking! I know you don't give a shit about my life! I know you don't care if I die! She'll fucking kill me! I know it! Let me go!" Amber begged as tears started leaving her eyes and her breath grew tight in her chest.

"Well, you never know with my mother, love. She could surprise us all and manage to keep you alive, after all! Plus, trust me when I say that you don't want to fall into Lucifer's hands alive. Dying would be your best option really," Crowley said evenly as he approached the stone path that led to the house.

Amber couldn't form coherent thoughts or words anymore. It felt like she didn't know how to breathe. Her heart was racing, her temples were pounding and a cold sweat started drenching her clothes. She remained barely conscious as the demon walked up the stairs and brought her in Rowena's library.

"Oh, dear!" The woman said, sounding concerned.

"It appears we had an eavesdropper listening in to our morning chat," Crowley said pleasantly. His eyes turned to meet the woman's with steely resolve as he placed the girl's body on the emptied table. "Get it over with," he added.

Rowena closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. When her eyes opened again, the green had disappeared. Her hands extended over the trembling teen body and a low chanting left her barely moving lips.

Amber then started feeling it. The heat. That unique sensation she had so intensely felt on her thirteenth birthday. It was back. It started surfacing, but instead of reaching a peak, as it had back then, it kept intensifying. The heat on her marks became a sharp burning sensation that made her scream in agony. Her limbs started jerking and soon her whole body writhing. She felt her body leaving the table as the witch's chanting grew louder and louder, echoing against the stone walls of the room.

It was then that something started changing. The pain was there, intense and raw. It began at her very core and spread to every fiber of her body. Yet her mind started clearing. The numbness and fear started giving their place to a clarity she had never felt before. Her gaze traveled to Crowley and the now loudly singing witch. Not realizing what exactly she was doing or even how she was doing it, a burst of energy escaped her. An intense flash of golden light washed the room and a second later she felt her body slamming on the table and tumbling to the ground. A hint of pain started developing before it immediately vanished. Glancing around her panting, she spotted both Rowena and Crowley laying on the floor seemingly unconscious. Not wasting a second she got to her surprisingly steady feet and rushed out of the house.

She didn't remember running being as easy as it currently felt. She could still feel the cold like she had when Crowley caught her, but it wasn't numbing her or holding her back around her, she realized she didn't remember the colors being as bright and distinct. Her feet connected with the ground with agility and accuracy that she had never before experienced and she could swear she ran faster than she ever had. There was little doubt in her mind as to where she should head and every step took her closer to somewhere she somehow knew would be safe. Could this mean she had her powers? Could it mean Rowena succeeded in unbinding her?

Before she could think over anything else her ears caught the sound of a second pair of feet running somewhere behind her. The start of the wooded area she had crossed with Crowley the night before appeared a few feet away. Pushing herself, even more, she burst into the fastest sprint she could master. Her eyes kept glancing behind her. She could hear Crowley's snarling breath as he closed the distance between them. The second she caught his figure from the corner of her eye, she tumbled forward into the treeline. Placing both her hands instinctively in front of her face she gasped loudly when she felt a powerful sensation inside her and a second later, hard marble connecting with her knees instead of frozen snow.

* * *

Sam was leafing through one of the books from the library, trying to spot any spell or sigil they could find useful during their trip to Canada. He was sitting in one of the armchairs rapping his fingers nervously on its leather arm. When the loud tumbling was heard he jumped bewildered and gasped in shock. "What the…"

Amber looked up from the library's floor and her eyes enlarged upon registering where she was and who was staring down at her. "S...Sam?" She asked, utterly confused.

Before she had the chance to utter another word, Dean ran into the room staring at her in complete disbelief.

Sam managed to break out of the trance and immediately reached for his phone. He quickly dialed a number before speaking into it, "Gagnon? Winchester here. Abort! …. Yeah, we got the girl... Long story. We had another guy pitch in and he got there first. Yeah… But thanks, man! We really appreciate it… Yeah! Call the others for me will you?"

Dean sighed in relief as he squatted down and helped the girl up, eyeing her up and down disbelievingly. "How?" He managed to ask.

"I wish I knew… One moment I was running through a forest and then I fell and I landed here..." Amber answered sincerely.

"Are you hurt?" Sam asked as he pocketed his phone and stepped closer.

"No… Not even a little…" Amber answered in a faint voice.

Dean shook his head and promptly enclosed the girl in a tight hug. "Fuck, Amber… We thought we lost you… We really thought…"

Amber hugged him back hesitantly and took in his scent. When he broke the hug, Sam followed suit. His hug was a tad longer but he soon broke the embrace and gently guided her to the library in one of the armchairs. "I'll get you some water," he told her and left the room heading for the kitchen, almost in a trance. As he passed his brother, their eyes met. "Call Cas, will you?" he mumbled to Dean as his mind raced on how they could possibly handle the situation.

* * *

Amber was curled up in the armchair Sam was sitting in almost an hour and a half ago, when she had suddenly appeared in the bunker. Sam was now leaning against one of the room's desks, expression serious and arms crossed over his chest. Dean was pacing slowly cracking his fingers and rubbing his chin every now and then.

When the oldest Winchester suddenly slammed both his palms on one of the library's desks Amber jumped a bit in her seat. "You summoned the freaking king of hell to give you a ride? You disappeared without even leaving a fucking note telling us where you were going or why?"

Dean felt his temper rising with every passing second. They had spent the last hour listening to their sister telling them the whole story of what had happened. How she had lied to them about being a Nephilim. The whole truth about how she found out. Her research of the supernatural world, her efforts to get involved in some hunting circles to gain info. Her meeting those hunters she had mentioned yesterday and learning more about him and Sam and their father. The had also listened how she left the bunker last night, and what happened while she was in Rowena's and Crowley's hands.

Amber flinched slightly at his enraged tone but her gaze held her brother's glare. "I told you, I thought he could help! He said he would, ok?" She answered curtly.

"And you trusted a demon, Crowley of all demons, to help you?" Dean asked incredulously.

Her turn to look at him incredulously she promptly countered, "you said he's helped you guys a bunch of times, didn't you? You turned to him for help, for fuck's sake! Why shouldn't I?"

"Because you know nothing of this world yet! Nothing!" Dean yelled. "You're as experienced as an infant in anything supernatural! And don't you even try to turn this on us! You've been lying about everything from the first second! Even after all the warnings, after explaining to you how imperative it was to know what is going on with you, in order to effectively protect you, you lied! Do you realize how utterly stupid you were?"

"Dean! Get it together, man!" Sam said his own voice rising slowly. He was as angry as Dean was. Hell, he might be even more. But calling their sister stupid or terrorizing her with angry yelling wasn't the way to go about this.

The oldest Winchester took in a deep shaky breath and ran both hands through his hair, trying to tame his temper.

Sam turned to Amber, who now wore a stony expression with pursed lips, that vaguely reminded of his own expression when he was seriously frustrated. "Amber, had we known that your mom was an angel, we would have never contacted Crowley. Your life, your grace, your whole existence, is a weapon for many creatures out there. We would have never risked Crowley meeting you. When you hid this from us, you literally multiplied your enemies, do you get that?"

"Do you get that everyone is the enemy? Everyone! Demons, Angels, the Devil, hunters… In this screwed, twisted world I'm an abomination! Everyone wants my head!" Amber yelled back angrily.

"No, Amber, not everyone. You have three people in this damn place who are not your enemies. You have me and Sam and Cas. We risked our lives more than once since we met you to save your stubborn ass and we will risk it a million more if we have to," Dean tucked on in a calmer but still hard tone.

"I know that  _now_ ," Amber answered angrily, emphasizing the last word.

"Oh yeah? Just now? Are you really going to try that one? Because mere minutes ago you told us a few more details about your meeting with that Jarvis guy you met! A random hunter, who told you about us, who told you we pretty much started and stopped the apocalypse, that we had killed angels and worked with demons when we had to! You knew we put family before the God damn world, Amber! You knew it was not us you should be afraid of," Sam answered to that.

"And yet you have an angel always hovering around! I freaked out, ok? How could I possibly know that Cas would not hand me over to someone or, hell, kill me himself the very second he learned what I was?" Amber countered heatedly.

"Ok, you couldn't trust Cas. I'll give you that. But that is yet another reason why you should have talked to me or Sam about it! So that we could protect you  _even_ from Cas," Dean countered. Taking in a deep breath, the oldest Winchester paused his pacing in front of her and brought a hand to cover his mouth for a few seconds. When he removed it, he spoke in a hushed tone that somehow felt scarier than his angry yells, "Damn it, Amber, do you even realize how close you came to being dead?"

"But I am not, ok? I am not, and now you know everything!" The girl bellowed, feeling her exasperation rising inside her with every second. She hated how cornered she felt, but more than that she hated the guilt that had started simmering in her stomach, for what she almost caused to her brothers and her own self.

"Out of sheer luck, Amb," Sam said. "Had your powers not been triggered to take you away, when they did, you'd be dead by now.  _Dead_."

Amber glanced at him feeling some of her frustration dissipate at the sound of his voice. It held sincere distress over what almost happened. It also held a hardness she was not accustomed to. Not from him.

"Ok, let me make sure I've got something else straight," Dean spoke again, after a few silent seconds. "So, we're in the kitchen talking about the three single rules you got to follow in this family, honesty, always telling us where you are or where you're going, and not putting your life in unnecessary danger. And then you leave the kitchen, go to your room, Crowley calls you and fills your head with his usual bullshit, and it doesn't cross your mind to tell us? To get our opinion? Or, God forbid, to let us know what you plan to do?"

Not liking where this was heading Amber answered curtly, "Dean, I am not a damn child. I've managed to keep myself alive all these years, and I managed to do the same today as well. Your stupid rules might be useful to some entitled little kid who knows nothing of the real world, but they're not to me. You don't get to tell me what to do and what not to do!"

Thick silence followed her short speech. The sense of triumph she felt bubbling up in her stomach, was short-lived, though, as Dean's low chuckle sounded. Amber stood there dumbfounded and watched him freaking chuckling. Her gaze followed his right hand as it rubbed his chin and shook his head.

"And that, young lady, is where you are very, very wrong," he finally spoke.

His voice was low now. Lower than she had ever heard it before. She instinctively inched back in her armchair, as he purposefully walked towards her. Once he closed the distance between them and leaned in close, placing both his hands on either arm of her chair he continued, "You are sixteen and we are your older brothers. You are a Nephilim, who just got her powers, and who knows nothing of this world and the dangers it holds. We are seasoned hunters who have saved the world more times than we care to recount. You have 16 years under your belt and we have more than 30. We say you jump, you jump. We say you stay put, you stay put. We say you ask before you go somewhere, you damn well better ask! Am I clear?"

Amber's jaw clenched indignantly. A tiny part of her liked what she was hearing. She liked the idea of someone worrying over her, advising her, taking some hard decisions so that she didn't have to. But another, a much bigger part of her, lashed out. She couldn't give up control. Whenever she had she had been betrayed. Whenever she trusted someone with these things she ended up hurt and alone, licking bloody wounds. Not this time. She had learned that lesson the hard way too many times. Nobody was to be trusted. Without even considering her actions she spat right on Dean's face. "Fuck you, Dean," she said in a hard voice as he watched the saliva slide down his cheek.

"Amber!" Came Sam's shocked voice, but he had little chance of intervening. Dean used his left sleeve to dry his face while he grabbed Amber's forearm with his right hand in an iron grip.

Getting her up from her seat, he dragged the girl out of the library and down the stairs not stopping until they entered her room, where he shut the door behind them. He promptly walked to the bed, sat on its edge and easily lowered the struggling teen over his knees.

"No!" Amber yelled indignantly as she used all of her strength to break free from her brother's grasp, but she was no match for Dean no matter how hard she tried. She started panicking when she felt him tug her sweat pants down. The next thing she knew, his palm slapped her panty-clad ass. Hard.

"Don't you dare, you fucking asshole!" She screamed but all she got in response was a volley of hard swats that hurt a lot more than she cared to admit.

"I'd watch the attitude, if I were you," Dean said ominously, as his hand found a rhythm and continuously rained down punishing smacks.

Amber used her feet to try and kick him but she only managed to make Dean trap her legs between his own and continue his task unbothered. She felt her face burn with embarrassment. This could not be happening. Less than three days ago she was in her home enjoying Ty's company, eating pizza and drinking beer and now she was getting spanked, by her older brother soon after her Nephilim powers were unbounded. The sting steadily intensifying and she couldn't stop the pained utterances escaping her lips.

"Am I having your full attention now?" Dean asked as his palm kept connecting with her ass rhythmically.

"Screw you,' came Amber's grunted answer.

Shaking his head, Dean increased the speed and smacked her upper thighs repeatedly until the girl grunted out a pained "Stooop!"

"Am I having your full attention now?" he simply repeated.

"Yes," Amber got out through gritted teeth.

"You don't lie to us ever again," Dean said in a dangerous tone not letting up the powerful smacks in the slightest.

Amber felt tears forming in her eyes, the burning pain increasing even more.

"You don't ever leave, without telling me or Sam first and getting our permission," the man continued. His sister's crying had little effect on his resolve as he continued the punishment. He was being hard and he knew it, but the situation warranted for nothing less than that. If Sam had ever pulled a stunt like this, he'd be getting the belt on a bare ass. Knowing that it was the girl's first experience with this type of discipline though, Dean decided against that and made the best possible use of his bare hand.

"You don't deliberately put your life in danger," he stressed that sentence with the hardest smacks yet, concentrating most of them on her sit spots. "You don't disrespect me or Sam by swearing to our faces or spitting when you're angry with us! You're not a three-year-old! You know your words! Use them! Am I making myself perfectly clear?"

Amber could not bring herself to talk anymore. She nodded her head defeated, as, at this point, the only thing she cared about was for the punishment to end.

Dean, judging by the difference of her physical reactions as well as the fiery red color of her skin on the areas her dark underwear did not cover, decided the lesson was learned. The girl let out a sob of relief when her brother's hand finally stopped descending. She felt him moving it on her back, rubbing her soothingly. Unable to move she just laid there for a while crying it all out. After a minute she felt Dean pulling up her sweatpants and gently helping her up.

She couldn't bring herself to look at him, instead, she stared at the floor, tears still escaping her eyes even though her sobs had slowed down considerably. When she felt her brother closing in and enveloping her in a hug she initially tensed up, standing rigid against him. But his soothing smell and warmth soon overpowered her resistance. She leaned on him and sent her last tears to stain his flannel shirt, as her hands snaked back and rubbed her pained rear tentatively.

Dean brought a hand to run through her brown locks and held her close with the other, "I hated it came to this, but don't think for a minute I won't repeat the lesson if I have to, Amber. I won't lose you now that I found you. Not out of your own careless actions."

The girl again only nodded against him. Her mind felt numb, all of the anger and flooding thoughts that overwhelmed her when Dean brought her in the room seemed to have evaporated and her brain refused to retrieve or process any of them.

When her last sobs finally died down, Dean gently broke the embrace and looked at her tear stained face with an uneasy expression. His worry and fear had sealed him from her cries while he was spanking her, but seeing her like this now tugged at his heart mercilessly. Taking her hands in his he looked at her seriously, "This cannot happen again. If I ever have to punish you for the same reason, trust me when I say I won't be so lenient! Am I understood?"

The whispered yes and a quick glance to meet his eyes was enough for him.

"C'mon, lay down for a bit," he said as he helped her lay on her bed and then promptly covered her with the comforter, "You need to rest and juice-up."

"Juice-up?"

"Replenish your mojo. I am guessing teleporting here from Canada took you everything you got, since you're so new to this," Dean explained.

"Oh," the girl only answered and felt her eyes closing on their own accord. She felt Dean run a hand through her hair again and then heard him walk out of the room closing the door behind him softly. Amber fought hard to keep her mind working but exhaustion soon won over and she drifted off to a deep slumber.

* * *

Sam looked up from the laptop's screen as Dean entered the library. He watched his older brother throwing himself in the nearest armchair and rubbing his face with both hands.

Sam stood and made quick moved of getting to a small table that served as a liquor cabinet. He poured two glasses and took one of them to Dean as he took a small sip of his own glass.

Dean accepted it with a thankful expression and swallowed a generous gulp down grimacing slightly at the burning sensation the scotch caused.

"You ok?" Sam asked.

Dean glanced at him once before drily answering, "I was doling out not receiving, Sammy."

"That's not what I asked, Dean," Sam answered unfazed.

"No. No, I'm not okay. What are we gonna do? How are we gonna handle this?" Dean asked looking at his brother almost desperately.

"We'll keep searching for Lucifer. If we manage to get him out of the picture, Amber's safe," Sam reasoned.

"From him. What about the rest of the world? Demons, angels… They'll each want her to serve their own sick purposes," Dean countered.

"We need to concentrate on the most imminent and dangerous threat though," Sam reasoned. "You heard what Amber said. It's like we suspected. Lucifer wants to use her heart to cast every angel out of heaven and go play God. Hell, knowing him, that's probably one third of his agenda... So, we stop him first and then deal with Crowley."

"I guess there's not much else we can do anyway," Dean commented tiredly.

"And we need to set up a training regime, teach her to manage her power, to protect herself," Sam added.

"I could help with her Nephilim powers," Cas' voice sounded next making the Winchesters turn around startled.

"Dude, how many times do we have to go over this?" Sam huffed annoyed.

"Clear your fucking throat, man," Dean tucked on as he brought his glass to his lips.


	6. Emission Control

**Emission Control**

**A/N: Hello all! Sorry for the long time this one took. You need to bear with me for another two months before things get better and I have actual time to write often. You have the Easter holidays to thank for this chapter!  A huge thank you to all of you who took the time to comment and offer feedback, it means the world! Next one is all planned out but not yet written. In this chapter, I include a small scene from season 12 episode 2. Most dialogues are a bit changed but you might find some similarities if you remember it well. I take no credit for the particular scene, I just used it to move the plot forward. It’s the scene where Lucifer enters the body of the rockstar Vince Vicente. So, no claiming that bit is mine in any way. I did my best to narrate it a bit differently and alter small bits but it’s still pretty similar. In any case, enjoy and as always do let me know what you think!**

**Warnings** **: In the small scene from the show that is mentioned above, there is mention of suicide (not by any of the main characters, you’ll understand when you read it if you don’t remember already), so if anyone feels uncomfortable with that maybe skip that bit. You’ll know which it is, as it’s the only one that doesn’t involve any of the main characters.**

 

**Title Credit** : Title of song Emission Control, by AC/DC (Album: Rock or Bust, 2014)

* * *

A loud growling sound broke the silence in the room and made the young brunette glare at her stomach in unmasked annoyance. Hunger would not be the reason she'd poke a single toe out of room 16. Not even a horde of cockroaches and spiders would serve as a powerful enough motivator for Amber to risk facing either of her brothers. Ever. She'd sneak out late at night for food and water and hide back inside for the duration of the days. Bathroom breaks would be a challenge but with the bathroom so close to her room even that was feasible. She could totally live like that for several weeks. Easy fucking peasy.

Feeling her lower back starting to ache from lying on her right side for almost half an hour straight, she turned around to rest with her back flat on the mattress. A frustrated groan escaped her lips when she felt her ass still protesting to the light pressure that lying down in that position caused. It was nowhere close to what she felt before she fell asleep or even when she woke up a couple of hours ago, but it was still there. A relentless, embarrassing reminder of what had taken place. Of what she wished she could forever erase from her memory.

Her face scrunched up into an angry pout even though there was nobody around to see it. She couldn't for the life of her understand why she wasn't furious with Dean. Why she wasn't raining hell to everyone inside that damn bunker and making a run for it. She had her powers now. She had better chances to successfully bust out of this shithole and even survive out there on her own, right? Yet here she was. Hiding away and overthinking her lousy luck and fate.

Her eyes traveled to her guitar and her hands almost ached with an intense desire of grabbing it and playing her frustration away. Yet she didn't want to draw any unwanted attention. She figured she'd be left alone for at least a while more if Sam and Dean believed she was still asleep. Getting up on to her feet she walked to her desk and leaned against it as her gaze drifted unfocused to the opposite wall. She wondered how she could her body feel so awake and strong after the utterly draining and mostly sleepless last couple of days.

Retrieving her notebook from the drawer of her desk, she placed it on the wooden surface and leaned over it supporting herself on her forearms, while still standing. Grabbing a pen from the metallic pencil case resting on the desk she tapped it against the white paper, before hastily noting down the date. She had to get everything down, to ensure she wrote what happened before she forgot any of the details. The habit she had formed all those years ago, writing down all important happenings in case she needed to revisit them in the future, had become almost a second nature to her. It was like a reflex. Yet, as soon as her mind attempted to retrieve any of the information of the unbinding ritual, she felt her heart pounding and a heat developing behind her eyes. Closing them, she willed herself to calm down and gritted her teeth as she opened them again. Taking in a shaky breath and setting her jaw in a stubborn expression, she took the pen in her hand again and ignored the trembling that slowly developed as she formed the first couple of letters on the paper. She was no wimp. She could beat this. Fear would never conquer her. After surviving Rowena and Crowley, she had promised herself as much.

A couple of minutes later she had managed to jot down a brief description of the place she was held at and describe the area around the small house, as well as the general timeframe of the events after leaving the bunker. Taking in a deep breath and knowing more than well that the challenging part had yet to come, she willed her mind to travel to the discussion between the king of Hell and his mother.

She didn’t get a chance to react this time. The heat developed instantaneously and so intensely, that she felt her eyes tearing up. She stumbled away from the desk and attempted to right her body from the crouched position she was in, as an ear splitting ringing started echoing in her ears. With the intense heat behind her eyes morphing into an almost painful pressure, Amber brought her hands to clutch her throbbing head. She didn't even realize the scream that left her lips as her whole body was seemingly engulfed in a heat wave that violently tore away from her and flew itself to the wall right across from where she was standing.

The room trembled with the force of the blast and the loud noise of bricks shuttering started registering in her ears as the ringing slowly started subsiding. She blinked several times to rid her eyes from the tears that had formed and looked disbelievingly at the broken part of the wall she had managed to blow up.

The door of her room burst open mere seconds later, when her brothers stormed in, knives in hand and expressions reflecting fear and bewilderment.

Sam instinctively ran to Amber and placed himself in front of her as he scanned the room for the intruder. Dean was the first to catch up as he lowered his knife. He took in a deep breath of relief that immediately turned to a coughing spell from the dust that was hovering everywhere around them.

Sam lowered his weapon as well and turned worried eyes to his sister. “Are you alright?”

Amber nodded and cursed inside her head when she felt her face heating up with embarrassment. So much for not drawing attention. “I’m fine,” she mumbled, before adding lamely, “Sorry for the wall…”

“We don’t give a crap about the wall. You’re sure you’re ok? What happened?” Dean asked as he studied the girl intently.

Amber felt her embarrassment increasing even more as the two men focused all their attention on her. Her hands retreated into her hoodie’s pockets, where they balled into fists, and she averted her eyes from them.

“How about we head to the kitchen. I can’t even breathe in here,” Sam offered after a few silent seconds, sensing the girl’s uneasiness. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and steered her to the direction of the kitchen.

Amber let him guide her out, not seeing any other option at the moment. Her mind attempted to race to prepare answers for their questions, but she couldn’t bring herself to focus. She could practically feel her brain pulsing with a multitude of thoughts and the first signs of a migraine started to shyly develop.

When they entered the eating space, the youngest Winchester all but collapsed in the nearest chair. She managed to school her face and not grimace at the not so gentle contact of her ass with the wooden surface of the seat. She kept her eyes downcast and watched awkwardly her brothers from the corner of her eye. Sam joined her, sitting on her right at the table, while Dean remained standing, leaning against the kitchen counter with his hands in his pockets. A few silent seconds passed before the older Winchester turned his back to his siblings and opened the nearest cabinet, retrieving three mugs. He made quick work of filling them with freshly brewed coffee that he had started preparing a few minutes before the almost explosion-like noise drew him to Amber’s room. After handing one to Sam and Amber he grabbed his own and joined them at the table.  

Seeing Amber reluctantly sipping some of the steaming black liquid, Dean cleared his throat. “You alright?” He asked a bit awkwardly. Her silent nod did little to reassure him and he pressed on, “Slept well?”

Amber nodded yet again and hid her face in her mug for a second sip.

“No nightmares?” Sam tried lamely, desperate for the girl to start opening up a bit and for the ice to break.

A shake of the head this time.

“Look, kid, you don’t have to be Sam-level babbling and sharing, but we’re gonna need a bit more than head movements. What happened? Why did you blow up the wall?” Dean finally asked.

Amber's eyes turned to look at him slightly narrowed, answering in an annoyed tone “I didn't do it on purpose!”

“Ah, good to know. A second escaping act did cross my mind,” Dean quipped, earning an eye roll from Amber and a pissed glare from Sam. “I meant, what caused it?” he asked impatiently, leaning forward on the table, green eyes fixed on his sister.

Amber glanced at her brothers reluctantly, not sure if she wanted to answer. Their intense gazes and serious expressions told her she didn't stand much of a chance of avoiding the answer. “Just… A flashback, I guess,” she answered quietly and laced her fingers around the warm mug craving the comforting feeling of its heat.

“With your powers so new blowing up crap when you're stressed goes with the territory,” Dean commented. “You don’t have to feel bad about it. After what you went through at those fuckers’ hands…”

“Cas has offered to help you learn how to control them,” Sam brought up seeing Amber tensing up at Dean’s words.

“Cas?” Amber asked her face scrunching up in an indignant expression.

“Yeah… Dark hair, trenchcoat, lives here and happens to be an angel,” the oldest brother answered in a sharp tone.

“He’s not your enemy, Amb. He doesn’t want to harm you, he just wants to help,” Sam chimed in an even tone.

“Uh huh. If you say so,” the girl grumbled and tugged a strand of hair behind her ear her expression tight.

“Look, we get it’s not the ideal situation. You have your trust issues after hiding all these years, we’ve spent minimal time together… It’s completely understandable that you feel a bit cornered and uneasy. However, we don’t have the luxury of the time. Here we can’t exactly ease into this, give it time and stuff. You need to be trained ASAP so that you’re as safe as possible. And the only one we trust and has experience with grace and angelic powers, that’s Cas,” Sam reasoned.

Amber glanced at the long-haired man with a thoughtful expression as she pondered his words. She didn’t like it but she didn’t necessarily disagree with Sam. After this morning’s fiasco, it was abundantly clear to her that she couldn’t truly trust anyone outside of that bunker to help her in any manner. Even though she’d never admit it, Dean’s displeasure and her own guilt and fear, of what she almost caused to herself and her brothers, had made her realize that completely. The prospect of working with an angel was not even a tiny bit appealing, but she couldn’t see any other option.

“Fine,” she nodded.

“Really?” Dean asked surprised. “Just like that?”

“Dean! What the hell man?” Sam groaned shooting his brother an exasperated glare.

Amber turned to face the oldest Winchester with a raised eyebrow, “Yeah, really. But…”

“Ha! Knew it!” Dean interrupted with a smirk.

Sam brought a hand to rub his forehead and took in a couple of deep breaths as he turned his gaze to their sister, “Go ahead, Amber. What did you wanna say?”

Hiding her slight amusement and using as a neutral tone as she could manage she immediately answered, “I want you two to train me as a hunter as well.”

Sam exchanged a glance with Dean before locking eyes with Amber again. “You wanna be a hunter?”

“Not really, no. But as it seems I am a prized collectible for too many creatures out there, so I think that adding a few practical skills wouldn’t be harmful,” she explained eyeing the two men expectantly with her head slightly tilted to the side.

Dean watched her for a few seconds before nodding. “We believe so too. We discussed this earlier and decided it would be best to train you,” he finally answered in an even tone.

A still silence followed his words, as Amber’s face hardened. Her fingers tightened against her coffee mug and her lips pursed into a thin line. Blinking a couple of times she slowly repeated, “Oh, you discussed it earlier?”

Dean’s eyebrows furrowed and his face grew confused. “Yeah. That’s what I just said,” he answered before exchanging a glance with an equally confused Sam.

“You discussed and decided earlier about me? About something that I have to do?” Amber asked back in an angry tone.

“Uh, what did just happen here? You said you wanted to be trained and we agreed! You realize we agreed, right?” Dean countered his eyebrows knitting together.

“No, Dean! You didn’t agree. You decided for me. Not even bothering to fucking ask me first,” Amber all but yelled as she shot to her feet. “You don’t get to decide about my life! I get to decide!”

“Ok, guys, you both need to calm down....” Sam tried to intervene raising his hands placatingly, as he watched Dean rising to his feet his face just as angry as their sister’s.

“We get to decide whatever the hell we think necessary when it comes to your protection and safety,” Dean answered angrily.

“Oh, the hell you do! You know what, scratch that. I don’t wanna train. In fact, I refuse to,” Amber shot back immediately and turned to live the room, but Dean effectively blocked her exit.

“You are dangerously close to getting your ass handed to you for the second time today,” he all but barked at her, as he crossed his hands over his chest.

Amber opened her mouth to retort but no words managed to come out. Fuming she groaned in exasperation and turned to look at Sam, who rose to his feet as well.

“Are you both done?” Sam asked in a tight tone.

When Dean and Amber started talking angrily at the same time, Sam slammed both his hands loudly on the table effectively making both of his siblings jump surprised. “Enough! Sit! Both of you,” he ordered in a tone that did not leave room for argument.

Amber and Dean exchanged angry glares before slumping in their seats huffing.

“This is ridiculous,” Sam said in a scolding tone. He turned to Amber as he continued, “We are trying to help you, not push you around. We agreed to something you yourself wanted, so throwing a fit about it like a spoiled three-year-old is not the way to go about it! You were asleep and we discussed with Dean about possible courses of action! Don’t pretend we signed you off to something terrible without even asking your opinion. That’s exactly what this discussion was going to be about, to see what your thoughts were on all these and how we could proceed!”

Amber felt her anger dissipate at her brother’s words. Feeling her cheeks flush lightly she quickly nodded and lowered her eyes, not sure if answering anything right now would be a good idea.

Sam turned his gaze to Dean, “And you! You’re 37 years old for crying out loud! Start behaving accordingly. She’s a teenager, what’s your excuse?”

Dean huffed annoyed but refrained from answering as well.

“We can’t keep bumping heads like this over every little thing. You two need to get a grip on that annoyingly similar temper of yours and stop arguing over everything. Especially over things we all agree on,” Sam continued more calmly.

“Fine,” Amber said in a quiet voice, stealing a glance at Dean.

“Yeah, Sammy, Fine,” Dean conceded gruffly.

“Good. Now, I’m gonna go get some food, cause it’s late and we all need to eat. I want you two to sit down and work out a schedule for the training regime together, nice and calmly. Can you both behave your age and manage that till I get back?”

Amber and Dean exchanged a look before they both nodded.

Sam, exasperated expression still plastered on his face, turned on his heel without any further words and headed out of the kitchen. As soon as the sound of his steps faded Dean glanced at Amber for a second before mimicking Sam’s last words tauntingly.

When Amber couldn’t hide her amused snort he offered her a small smile and got to his feet. “I’m gonna bring a paper and pens. We’d better get it done before Samantha gets her panties in a bunch.”

* * *

A loud yell of “Fuck!” was Cas’ only warning before the vast energy blast shook the ground of the room he and Amber currently stood at. He glanced at the wall that received the hit and was relieved to notice only some minor cracks forming.

“It’s that exact point that you need to….”

“Learn to recognize and use my breath to hold it in…. Blah blah blah. Yeah, Cas, I know! You’ve told me so after all ten times I failed to do so,” Amber cut him off in an exasperated tone. “How about telling me how to bloody do it for a change?”

The dark-haired angel regarded her evenly as he patiently repeated himself, “I told you, to every one of us it’s different. You need to find a way to channel the energy. To use it. To ride it. But to get there you first need to be aware of when it starts stirring inside you.”

“Yeah, I remember that, too! The problem is I don’t have the time to react, cause as soon as I feel it stirring, it’s already out of me and slamming whatever it finds in its wake,” The girl answered back angrily. She groaned in frustration as she brought her hands to tighten her high ponytail and paced around the empty stone room for a few seconds. “There’s no point in this, Absolutely none. We’ve been at it for three days now with zero progress…”

“Progress needs time and effort. Yesterday you couldn’t even recognize when the blasts would come. Today I hear you groaning a few seconds before they go off, so you definitely start to synchronize with your grace. Have you been meditating as Sam showed you?”

Amber rolled her eyes at that and turned to face the angel with arms crossing over her chest. “What does that new age bullshit have to do with anything? “I don’t see any use for it beyond boring me into a stupor. If I wanted to stare into space for twenty minutes, I’d go take a crap. But wait! I don’t need to look into space while taking a crap either, ‘cause there are cell phones and internet, so there goes yet another stupid use of meditation!”

Castiel’s gaze moved heavenly for a few seconds before answering, “Just like Sam said, it will help you be more aware of what is happening inside you. It will help recognize the signals and it will improve your control.”

Fists clenching the girl shook her head and turned her back to the angel, “We’re done for today. I’m dead,” she threw behind her shoulders as she walked purposefully out of the training room and towards her room. Slamming the door behind her she threw herself on her bed and reached for her cell phone that was laying on her bedside table. She checked the time and groaned frustrated that it was still early in the day. With Sam and Dean away at a hunt for the last two days spending her days cooped up in the bunker with Castiel overseeing her grace training was driving her crazy.

Eyeing the phone she sat up on the bed and unlocked it. Her fingers tapped at the screen pulling up her contact list and she scrolled down till she found Sam’s number. After seconds of hesitation, she pressed on it and brought the phone on her ear.

_ “Amber?” _

“Dean?” she asked confused. “I thought I called Sam.”

_ “You did. He can’t talk right now though. Everything ok?” _

“Yeah… Just… I need to get out of here. For just a bit. Just half an hour or something,” Amber said trying hard to keep her voice steady. All of the tension and exasperation of the days that had passed was beginning to get to her.

_ “Amb, you know that can’t happen. I wish it could, kid, I really do.” _

Amber could swear she could spot sincerity in her oldest brother’s tone and maybe even hints of understanding. There was a first. “What if Cas came with? I’m THAT desperate,” she offered in a hushed voice.

_ “No, not without us there. Look, we’ll close this case in a matter of hours. We’ll be back before morning. I promise we’ll take you out for a car ride. How does that sound? You’ll even get to pick the music.” _

Sighing the girl nodded even though she knew Dean could not see her. “Yeah, ok. Let’s do that.”

_ “How did training go?” _

“Like shit,” she replied immediately in a tired tone.

_ “You’re listening to Cas?” _

“Yes, Dean, I’m listening to him,” she answered rolling her eyes. “The problem is what he says doesn’t seem to help any. I still can’t control the power bursts, let alone invoke them and use them at will.”

_ “It’ll come to you. You’ve been at it for only a few days. Take a break for today. Check out the demon notes Sam prepared for you.” _

“Yeah, sure,” the girl answered noncommittally.

_ “Do you want me to have Sam call you back?” _

“No. I called to ask to go out. I just thought I had better chances getting a yes from him,” Amber answered sincerely. As her eyes traveled to stare at the ceiling.

_ “Good thinking, kid,” Dean chuckled. “So, we’ll see you tomorrow. Don’t torture Cas too much, ok?” _

“Sure, take all my fun away, won’t you?” the girl answered her lips forming a small smile.

_ “Amber…” _

At the warning tone, she shook her head, “Ok, I won’t torture him too much,” she mumbled. After a small pause, she added, “Hey, Dean?”

_ “Shoot.” _

“How come you’re so nice to me over the phone but such a jerk when you’re here?”

_ “Right back at ya, I guess.” _

Snorting a small lough at his answer she shook her head. “Bye, jerk!”

_ “Tomorrow, pain!” _

As the call ended Amber stared at the ceiling for a few more seconds before glancing at her phone yet again. Her thoughts traveled to Ty and her fingers itched to call him. Her brothers had advised her not to but the urge right now was overwhelming. Deciding that between disobeying their orders on going out and calling her friend the latter was much preferable she quickly called her friend and brought the phone back to her ear with a trembling hand.

The voice that exploded from the other line after a few seconds made her wince and inch the phone away from her ear.

_ “Where the FUCK are you?” _

“Hey yourself, Ty,” she answered smiling widely at hearing his voice.

_ “What the actual fuck dude? Are you ok? Where are you? I went to see you the other night and found your house torn apart!” _

“I’m fine. I’m with my brothers. I had to leave town, Ty. It wasn’t safe for me,” she informed him as she got up from her bed and started pacing slowly around the room.

_ “What situation? Where are you?”  _ Ty frantically repeated.

“Can’t tell you that. But I am safe, so stop the drama already!”

_ “Why didn’t you call earlier? I was losing my shit, searching all around town...” _

“Yeah, sorry about that. To be honest I shouldn't be calling you even now. It’s kinda risky. But I needed to hear your voice real bad so to hell with that,” she answered truthfully.

_ “I wanna see you, dude… How do I know, like, you’re not speaking with a gun on your head right now? Hey, listen, If you need me to go to the cops say something irrelevant… Uh, say ‘yo Ty’!” _

“Ty, I don’t have a gun on my head. And for fuck’s sake stay away from the cops. If anyone we know asks about me you say I just disappeared and you haven’t heard from me. Ok? I promise I’ll explain everything when it’s safe to do so.”

_ “Amb…” _

“Ty, shut up! I’m fine, ok?”

_ “Then meet with me!” _

“I can’t right now.”

_ “Ok, not right now. Say, tomorrow.” _

“No, not tomorrow and not in the near future. But I promise I’ll let you know when it’s safe. Plus we’re miles and miles away. It will need some arranging to meet somewhere.”

_ “Say the word and I’ll buy a ticket to fly whatever state you’re hiding at.” _

“I will when the timing is right. I promise. How are you? And your folks? Everything alright around the neighborhood?”

_ “Yeah, ‘xept your house…” _

“Tell me more about that.”

_ “It was like the FBI wrecked the place apart, you know? Everything turned upside down and inside out…” _

“Ok. Just stir away from there. Don’t visit again, I mean it!”

_ “I didn’t plan to. Somebody broke into our house too, the night you disappeared. But they didn’t take anything. Other than some freakish blood stains in my room everything was like nobody ever was there.” _

“I’m glad you’re all ok,” Amber said relieved. If everything happened to her best friend or his loved ones because of her she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. “I need to hang up, Ty. Don’t call me, ok? I’ll call you whenever I can. And don’t worry about me. I’m in good hands.”

_ “ ‘K. Don’t disappear though. Try to call at least once a week or something. I’m freaking out as it is… I miss you, Amb.” _

“I miss you too, Ty. We’ll talk again, soon. Bye,” she said hurriedly and hanged up the phone as her eyes glossed over with tears. Her breath quickened and she felt the familiar by now sensation of her power surfacing. Closing her eyes she groaned loudly and pulled all her focus in somehow keeping it in. Clenching her stomach muscles and balling her fists she managed to keep it just short of exploding. Daring to open her eyes she moved briskly to exit her room and all but ran back to the now empty training room. As soon as she stepped inside she breathed out and let it burst out of the confines of her body. The familiar shaking of the room brought a large smile on her lips and she bumped a fist in the air.

“Amber?” Castiel’s alarmed voice sounded next before he appeared at the room’s door frame.

“I did it!” the girl said enthusiastically. “I managed to keep it in long enough to come into this room from my room! I felt it coming and I managed to keep it in!”

Castiel smiled broadly at that, “See? That’s progress! What brought it out?”

“What d’ya mean?” the girl asked confused.

“Do you remember what you were feeling or thinking when it happened?”

“I was thinking of my friend back home. Ty. So, sad, I guess? Why is that relevant?” Amber answered deciding it wouldn’t be wise admitting she had actually talked to her friend.

“I suspect that certain emotions cause for more violent bursts while others for milder ones. For example when you are frustrated and stressed, you don’t manage to control the bursts at all. Now that it was brought on by sadness as you claim you did. So maybe we could work with invoking similar feelings in order for you to increase control and gradually move back to the more challenging situations once you get the hang of it,” the angel said leaning on the doorframe and looking at her wearily. Everything he had advised or proposed to this moment had fallen on deaf ears with the girl and he really hoped he’d manage to get her to agree to this one without involving the brothers to make her do it.

Amber thought his words over for a bit before slowly nodding. “That kind of makes sense.”

Castiel’s shocked expression made her smirk slightly. “See? When you say something actually useful I am open to it…”

“And she’s back,” the angel mumbled. “Would you like to try it out a couple of times now?”

“Yeah. Let’s do it,” she answered decisively.

“Try sitting down this time. And place your hands' palms down on the floor,” Castiel instructed hoping her agreeable moment hadn’t passed yet.

“Why?”

“Because being in contact with the earth might help you channel more control. Just give it a couple of tries, see if it helps,” the dark haired man said as he walked closer to her pushing his hands in his pockets.

Amber regarded him silently before nodding. She sat down reluctantly, folding her legs beneath her and tried to persuade herself this was in no way or shape similar to meditating. Placing her palms on the earth she felt the coolness of the stones almost comforting. She took in a couple of deep breaths and brought back to her mind Ty’s voice and words. When her eyes opened again they were no longer green, but golden.

* * *

After inserting the card in the hotel room’s door slot, the tall, slim man slowly walked inside the modern and luxurious interior. The wrinkled eyes glanced around the space that was hosting him for the last few days, while he and his band were recording a new album and performing a few shows in nearby towns. He sighed at the still silence and getting out of his leather jacket, he walked tiredly and slowly towards the bathroom. His hands rested on the sink’s sides for a minute as he inspected his reflection on the large mirror that hung above it. His lips tightened at the sight of his face. His wrinkles, deeper than ever since he lost his Jen, his dull skin, his greyed hair. Staring at the ghost of his old self that was meeting his gaze through the glass, he used one hand to turn the faucet on and let the cool water run through his fingers. Closing his eyes he crouched closer to the sink and splashed a generous amount to his face. When he straightened up and opened his eyes again his pupils enlarged and he screamed in pure horror when he saw himself covered with blood. His eyes traveled horrified to the sink, where instead of water, the tap was pouring a steady thick stream of blood. Stumbling backwards he exited the bathroom panting and leaned against its doorframe trying to catch his breath. When he hesitantly peaked back inside, his reflection stared back at him clean as ever, while clear water was running steadily in the sink, no sign of blood anywhere.

The man checked his hand and his reflection again and wondered if he was starting to lose his mind. Glancing around the room again he gulped with difficulty when the lights started to flicker and thunders sounding. Trying hard to calm himself down he walked to the sitting area and looked around him fearfully. When the previously turned off television sparked to life and a loud white noise filled the room he glanced around him panicked.

“Vince….”

At the sound of his name, he ran to the room’s phone and tried desperately to call the front desk. When nothing was heard from the other line he threw the phone angrily at the opposite wall. Panting and beyond freaked out he watched as the numerous framed photos of his Jenifer, that were prominently placed at various spots of the living room space started hovering and flying around him. Screaming, the man backtracked to the bedroom closing and locking the door.

“Vince!”

At the familiar call of his name, he glanced around him with terrified eyes. As he turned around, his back stuck on the door his face broke upon seeing Jen. Standing in front of his window. Beautiful as ever, looking at him longingly.

“Vince,” she called again in her sweet voice.

“Jen?” he whispered in a shaky tone and watched her walking closer, a big smile lighting her face.

“Yes, Vince, it’s me…”

“But... But how? Wh...Why?” he stuttered in a hushed tone. His brain couldn’t keep up with what was happening but his heart was ready to explode as he saw the love of his life standing right in front of him. But Jen was dead. Dead.

“I needed to see you. To apologize. I’m sorry, Vince. So sorry, baby,” she said as she came even closer to him her eyes glossing over. “Taking my life like that… That was selfish,” she added.

“All these years… having to live with myself, knowing how I treated you,” Vince said as his voice broke into light sobs.

“At the time it felt right. I wanted nothing more than to hurt you the way you had hurt me all those times you left me, Vince…”

The man broke into more sobs. “All I want… Is you, Jen,” he managed to get out through his racked breathing.

Smiling warmly she answered, “And that can happen, baby. You and me, together!”

Vince gasped as her hands gently laid on his shoulders and her face came close to his. Her smell was there, her flesh was real. How could this be happening? “Are you a ghost?” He whispered.

Chuckling she shook her head, “No, baby, I’m an angel,” she said sweetly.

“But, angels aren’t real, Jen.”

“Oh, they are, babe. So very real. And so very powerful,” she said and sent her hands to run through his hair tenderly. “I can take away all of your pain, Vince, bring you peace. And all you need to do is one tiny thing…”

Eyes closing at her touch the man whispered longingly, “What do I need to do?”

“Will you invite me in?” she breathed, palms holding his face comfortingly.

At his sobbed out “Yes,” the blond figure’s eyes flashed red as she leaned in for a kiss. When their lips touched a blinding light engulfed the whole room.

* * *

Amber woke up earlier than she’d like the next morning. After taking a shower and getting ready for the day she realized that while her brothers had probably returned, they would, most likely,  still be asleep. Grabbing her phone she spotted an email notification and promptly opened it. Her brows frowned at not recognizing the name of the sender. After glancing at the previewed poster that was attached and reading the short text though, she smiled shaking her head. ‘Hey, dude! Seems VV is on a grand tour. Haven’t heard from you in a while, but thought you might find this interesting. Don’t be a stranger’. That was Ty, sending from an encrypted email account apparently. The two of them had an obsession with Vince Vicente. They had the time of their lives at one of his concerts last year and they had vowed to each other to attend one of his shows together at least once a year no matter what. The poster conveniently listing all of the cities the man would perform made her smile excitedly. There were at least three towns close enough to go by car for her and Ty had the means to obtain the tickets to fly anywhere he wanted. Locking the phone and throwing it on the bed she all but jumped and jogged out of the room. She headed for the kitchen as her mind raced to how she could possibly persuade her brothers to let her see her friend.  Opening the fridge she took out a box of eggs and a pack of bacon. The coffee pot was already half full when she starting cooking a generous amount of breakfast.

“Morning, kid.”

Turning back at the sound of her older brother’s voice Amber offered a small smile, “Morning. Have a sit, coffee’s almost done,” she said before turning back to stirring the scrambled eggs in the pan.

Dean walked eyed her surprised as he moved close to her to take two mugs out of the cupboard. “I’m in no shape or form complaining, but why are you making breakfast?” he asked amused.

Raising an eyebrow the girl retorted, “ ‘Cause we need to eat?”

“You just don’t strike as the cooking kind of girl, that’s all,” Dean said placatingly small smile on his lips.

Amber smirked and nodded at that, “Can’t say you’re wrong. But I thought it’d be nice for the two of you to find something home-cooked after three days on diner food.”

Dean only hummed in response and took a sip from his coffee.

Amber glanced at him sideways as she took the pan out of the fire and turned off the burner, “You don’t bite that, do ya?” She promptly asked reaching for a platter.

“Nope,” Dean promptly shook his head and moved to sit at the already set table. “So shoot. What’s this really about?”

“What’s what really about?” Sam asked pleasantly as he entered the room. “It smells great, Amb,” he added smiling warmly at his sister.

Amber chewed on her cheek for a second before placing the platter on the table, “Just start eating will ya? How was the trip?”

“Ghost case. Pretty basic stuff,” Dean answered.

“Salt and burn?” Amber asked smirking as she sat on one of the chairs holding a filled cup of coffee for herself.

“Someone did their homework,” Sam commented approvingly after swallowing a generous bite.

“And managed to control a couple of blasts,” the girl mentioned with a sincere smile on her face.

“For real?” Dean asked surprised as their phone call from the previous day came to his mind.

“Yep. Shortly after we spoke really,” she replied.

“Yes, she did some great progress,” sounded Cas’ voice making all three Winchesters turn to look at him entering the eating space.

“Great job, Amb,” Sam praised.

“Cas, do you want a plate?” Amber asked trying her best to sound nice to the angel.

Dean and Sam turned to look at her with surprised looks which she promptly ignored. She needed all the brownie points she could get. VV and Ty. VV and Ty, she kept chanting in her mind.

“Uh, no. I don’t really need to eat, Amber, being an angel and all” Cas answered looking a bit surprised at the absence of sarcasm and general annoyance his presence usually brought to the girl.

Her brows knitting she asked, “Angels don’t need to eat? Then why do I need to eat?”

“ ‘Cause you’re a human-angel hybrid, kid,” Dean answered while chewing making Sam scrunch his face up in disgust.

Amber nodded her understanding and took a sip of coffee while trying to find what would be the best way to ask her brothers what she wanted, but Castiel was the one who spoke before she had the chance to do so.

“Sam, Dean, I know you just got back, but there is something we might need to check out,” the angel said forlornly.

Amber looked at the man bewildered and watched her brothers leaving their forks down and looking at the angel worriedly.

“What?” Dean prompted impatiently.

“Could be nothing, but there where a couple of mentions about a red-eyed man causing some trouble in a few bars late last night.”

“Where?” Sam asked his face growing grim.

“St. Louis.”

“Looks like we’re back on the road, then” Dean sighed.

“What? No! But you just came back,” Amber complained as she glanced between her brothers.

“Amber, this isn’t something we can let slide. Especially now. If there’s even the slightest chance that it’s really Lucifer…”

“But what can you do even if he is? You can’t kill him like any other demon,” the girl argued exasperatedly.

“Look, there’s no need to worry we’ll find a way to tackle him if it comes to that. It won’t be the first time,” Sam reassured.

Amber slumbed in her seat at his words and closed her eyes briefly. “How far is St. Louis from here? Can I at least come with? I can’t take another day locked in here!”

“Are you seriously asking that? Of course, you’re not coming with, not with Lucifer possibly there,” Dean immediately shot down.

“Dean, I don’t give a crap about Lucifer, I can’t take another day cooped up in this place. I just can’t! You promised we’d drive somewhere once you’d come, I even found a couple of places we could visit…”

“Amber, I’m sorry, but getting your fresh air will just have to wait. We need to prioritize here, ok? Let us check this lead out and we’ll arrange something when we get back. You keep working on controlling your powers with Cas while we’re away…”

“To hell with that,” Amber angrily yelled as she shot to her feet.

Sam calling her name had little effect on her rapidly rising temper. Her eyes flashing golden she raised her hand and without even realizing what or how she was doing it she released a blast to the counter on the opposite wall, causing a number of plates and cooking utensils to scatter loudly around the room.

“How did you like that control?” she spat to Dean as she furiously exited the kitchen and went to her room slamming her door loudly behind her.

Back in the kitchen, the brothers were left in shocked silence while Castiel appeared deep in thought.

“What the fuck?” Dean asked turning to Sam. “She was merrily cooking minutes ago and then she goes all Nephilim on us for leaving?”

“Cut her some slack, man. She’s trying hard to make this work. She’s locked in here without us and now we tell her we’re leaving again and she has to spend who knows how many more days locked up in here alone…”

“She’s not alone,” Dean said emphatically.

“No, but she’s not exactly best buddies with me, Dean,” Castiel intervened.

“She used her powers, though, right?” Sam mentioned a hopeful smile on his face. “I mean she might be pissed at us, but that was some serious progress from where we left her.”

“It really is,” Castiel commented seriously.

“What’s with the long face then?” Dean asked noticing the angel’s expression.

Castiel shook his head, “Nothing, it’s just that it seemed a bit out of the blue. Yesterday she managed to keep the bursts from erupting for some time and then today she manages to channel a burst while angry so effectively… It’s great progress. Just… Kind of too great,” the angel said thoughtfully.

“But that’s a good thing, right?” the oldest Winchester reasoned.

“Yeah. I guess it is. I’ll see if I’ll get her to work a bit more with me later today after you leave,” Castiel nodded.

“Oh, she will,” Dean said emphatically and rose to his feet purposefully.

“Dean, no! Not a chance. Sit. You’re not gonna bust her for this. She has every right to get angry,” Sam immediately said rising to his feet himself.

“Yes, but she has no right to behave like that because she’s angry, Sammy,” Dean countered seriously.

“I know, and she knows it too. But you can’t expect her to control herself as well as a regular person, not at this point anyway. Her powers just woke up. She needs time to adjust. Let me talk to her,” Sam retorted.

Sighing the oldest Winchester nodded. “Fine. Go talk to her. I’ll go pack my stuff.”

* * *

Her fingers ached against the tabs but she kept pressing down even harder as her right hand hit the guitar strings with speed and precision. When the knock on her door sounded she ignored it and kept her focus on the instrument in her hands. She caught Sam entering from the corner of her eyes but refused to make direct eye contact. She knew she was being overly dramatic about this. Her logic told her that a couple of more days wouldn’t kill her or drive her nuts. At least not completely. But her temper was beyond listening to any kind of reason and her emotions were literally all over the place. She felt tired and angry and all she wanted was to leave this place and stop thinking of evil archangels and demons wanting her dead. All she wanted was to escape for a few hours. And that was far from that much to ask.

Sam sat on the bed and reached to gently clasp his hands on the guitar. Amber glared at him as she kept her own grasp on the instrument but her strength was no match to Sam’s. He easily tugged it away and placed it next to him. Turning to the now scowling girl he cleared his throat, “I know this sucks…”

“Oh, you do?” Amber cut him sarcastically. “ ‘Cause here I was thinking you’re just off to a second road trip after just returning from the previous one, while I am locked inside this bottomless pit…”

“Don’t, Amber,” Sam interrupted her with a hint of sternness in his tone. “You know very well what kind of road trip we had and the kind that awaits us. I do understand how much this sucks for you but it doesn’t change the fact there is nothing we can do about it. You have a target on your back and being away from this bunker is too risky. It sucks but that’s the way it is. I know you were looking forward to a change of scenery, but you’re still gonna get it once we’re back.”

Amber scoffed and shook her head, “Whatever you say, Sam. Are we done?”

Sam’s expression hardened slightly but he managed to keep his tone even, “No, we’re not done, actually. You can keep scowling all you want but when Cas calls you to train we expect you to listen and train with him. No excuses. This is far more important than your stubbornness and your displeasure with our current situation. This is about survival. You keep training, you continue studying the notes I’ve given you and depending on how diligently you worked, while we’re away we’ll discuss our options for that outing when we’re back.”

Bringing her eyes to meet his she asked, “What if I told you there’s a certain concert I wanna go. It’s a five-hour drive but it will be worth it. You’ll enjoy it, I’ll enjoy it, we’ll make a daytrip out of it.”

Sam mulled her words over. “Where?”

“Denver. In four days.”

“That could actually happen. We’ll hopefully be back by then,” Sam said hoping with all his might he’d be able to get Dean to agree to this.

“Make sure you are back by then,” she answered curtly.

Sighing Sam patted her knee even though he’d much rather hug her goodbye and got up to leave the room. Right before he closed the door he heard her quiet, “Be safe.”

“We will, Amb. Be good.”

Amber glanced at the closed door and her jaw set decisively as she immediately grabbed hold of her phone. Using an encrypted email generator, she quickly typed a short text before sending it to Ty. ‘VV at Denver sounds cool. But you’d need to fly there. Would you?’ Setting the phone back down she glanced at the ceiling and hoped Ty would take the hint and book the tickets. She’d give her brothers the chance to do this their way. If they weren’t back by then or if they refused to take her, she’d just have to find a way to go alone and she couldn’t care less what they’d think or do about it.

* * *

Hand shooting forward and realizing a golden beam of light, Amber watched smiling as her target-mannequin lit up into flames and flew to the opposite wall.

Castiel watched from behind her as she let out a second blast to the next target this time causing it to crumble into pieces. He managed to hide his rather forlorn expression when Amber glanced back at him. “Good job,” he commented as the girl marveled at her handiwork. “Great work, Amber. If your targets today were real demons you’d have easily killed them. You’re really applying yourself and it shows. It’s astonishing what you’ve managed to accomplish in only two days.”

“Yeah, well, being even more pissed at Sam, Dean, and you after they left two days ago apparently helps,” the girl quipped.

“Maybe with the intensity of your energy, but definitely not with the control. And you’ve only lost control a couple of times up to now,” he retorted unphased.

“Yeah, but the one I had yesterday in the war room was kind of intense. I hope the papers in those drawers weren’t too important,” she mentioned. Even though inwardly she hoped they were and that it would cause at least some trouble to Sam and Dean when they dragged their miserable asses back. It was their fault anyway. They had informed Cas, as she refused to talk to them, that they had found some strong leads and would probably need at least one more day before coming back. When Cas told her she felt all her exasperation returning full force and turning to raw anger. It was then that she didn’t manage to control a pretty strong burst that caused quite the damage to a great part of the war room.

Castiel’s voice brought her out of her reminisce of the previous day’s incident. “Enough for today. You’re at it for more than three hours. We’ll continue tomorrow.”

Amber didn’t wait to be told twice. She walked briskly out of the room leaving the angel lost in his thoughts.

When his phone rang Castiel reached in his pocket and took it out. “Dean?”

_ “Hey, Cas. Change of plans. The fucker left town, so we’re heading to Denver as we speak. How are things over there?” _

“Weird,” Cas answered laconically.

_ “What’s up?” _

“It’s Amber. I’m beginning to think there is something with her powers that is not quite right,” he said seriously.

_ “Not right how?” came Dean’s worried reply. _

“She shouldn’t be this strong. Not even the offspring of an archangel would be expected to be this strong after so little time with her powers. She’s controlling it well for the most part, but the intensity of her power honestly scares me. I mean, if she’s as strong as she is now, I can’t imagine what she’ll be able to do when she’s fully synced with her grace and has full access to her abilities.”

_ “What are you saying, she might go Darth Vader or something?” Dean asked in a tight tone. _

“What?” Cas asked perplexed.

_ “She might become evil?” _

“No, that’s not my concern. Power alone cannot make anyone evil. I just fear what could happen if….”

_ “That won’t happen. We’ll kill the fucking beast before he even realizes what she’s capable of.” _

“I hope so. Good news is she’s getting stronger and stronger every single day.”

_ “Good to hear. Tell her we said hi. Call if anything comes up.” _

“Sure. Bye, Dean.”

* * *

Amber poked at her food as she stole a glance at Cass. “Did they call again?” She asked after a few silent seconds.

Castiel looked at her warily but remained silent.

“I won’t lose my shit, don’t worry. I just want to know they’re ok. They had said they’d probably be heading back by tomorrow, right?”

“They won’t. They’ll need another day or two, I’m afraid,” the angel answered his eyes scanning the girl for any signs of anger, but spotted none.

“Thought so,” Amber mumbled mostly to herself trying to ignore the feelings of disappointment that bubbled up inside of her. Getting to her feet she went to empty the remaining of her meal in the trash and then turned to start washing up the dishes left in the sink. She felt the man’s eyes fixed on her but managed to ignore him. Her mind raced to the details of her plan for tomorrow. Focusing all her energy to where she would be in 24 hours she smiled to herself. After finishing with the cleaning up she walked out of the kitchen and headed to her room humming the rhythm of her favorite Vince’s song. The one he had written in memory of the love of his life when she committed suicide a few years ago. As she laid under the covers of her bed she found herself falling asleep effortlessly after many nights.

* * *

 

  
  
  



	7. Full Speed Or Nothing

**A/N: Hello everyone! I'm super excited with how this chapter turned out, mainly because I got another amazing and very talented Beta-reader, Lau Whisperer, to help me with editing and making this so much more enjoyable for you guys. So, huge thank you, Lau!**

**Enjoy the chapter, people! As always, dropping a line to let me know of your thoughts is greatly appreciated!**

**Title Credit:** Lyrics from Metallica's song: Motorbreath (Album: "Kill 'em All", 1983)

* * *

"No."

"This is not something you get to say no to, you imbecilic, overgrown pigeon!"

"Amber…"

"Don't Amber me! I am the one locked up in here, spending my days suffering the misery of your almighty angel-shit! If I can't step outside for a beer or a cup of coffee in a bloody diner, then the very least I get to do is eat! And I have nothing to eat! And I've been arguing with you over the importance of me eating for the better half of an hour! I am losing every last ounce of patience here, heaven boy," Amber thundered, gesturing wildly at the empty fridge that stood between her and the angel.

Expression stoic, Castiel simply repeated his words, words he'd repeated many times at this point, but for some strange reason they didn't seem to register with Amber. "We can't leave the bunker. It's not like you can't survive without food for a couple of days!"

The girl gaped at him incredulously, "Are you serious? Ok, you know what, fuck the silent treatment," she mumbled as she took out her cell phone and quickly dialed Sam's number.

"Amb?"

"He won't let me eat," the girl thundered in the phone glaring daggers at the angel who looked more confused than annoyed.

"Uh… What?"

"Put your brain to work, Sam! Your guard-peacock won't let me eat! We're out of food! Completely out of food. I asked him to go get us some and he answered, and I quote, "It's not like you can't survive without food for a couple of days," Amber said, parroting Cas' words in a tone of exasperation.

"How can we be out of food? I thought we were good for another week or so…"

"Apparently, I eat more than you thought I would. The fact remains, the freezer and the fridge are empty. There are a couple of beers and a bag of chips, but I doubt they'll keep me going till you decide to end your little road trip."

"We're not on a road trip… Just… Let me talk to Cas for a minute."

Handing the phone to Cas, Amber crossed her slender arms over her chest and, leveling her eyes directly at him, remained watching the angel with a stony expression. This had to work.

"I don't know Sam. I'm not eating. I have no idea what happens with food in this place…. No… Yes, that's all we got... Leave her alone? Are you sure?"

Amber did her best to school her expression and ensure she didn't appear eager or excited. When the angel finally ended the call and handed her the cell phone back, she looked at him raising a single eyebrow as if to say, "I told you so."

"It appears Sam agrees with you. Not eating till they're back is not an option."

"Hallelujah!," Amber exclaimed with eyes rising to the ceiling, hands flung up in a gesture of supplication. "Give me five to change into something more presentable and we can go."

"No. Sam made it clear you are to remain in the bunker. We can't risk you being seen. Especially now that they're out of town."

Wearing a tight smile she shook her head, bringing all of her performing talent into play. "Of course. You know what, fuck it. I don't even care at this point. Just go. And bring back lots of chocolate! I'm never getting out of here, so I might as well get fat," Amber said with a weary tone of resignation, walking slowly out of the room. She headed for the library. Curling up in her usual armchair, she pretended to leaf through a book, feigning submission to her fate, as she waited, listening closely, for Cas to make his way towards the garage.

A few minutes later, with Cas having left the bunker, Amber cautiously made her way to the garage. Opening the door she glanced inside and smiled when she didn't spot the angel. As she glanced around in contemplation she felt her phone vibrating. Glancing at the caller ID she brought it to her ear.

"What!"

Dean's voice sounded just as curt from the other end. "Don't do anything stupid. You wait for Cas inside the bunker! Understood?"

Smiling smugly while tracing her fingertip across the hood of a shiny, purple, 1970 Dodge Challenger, her voice dripping in sarcasm, Amber answered back, "And here I was planning a road trip of my own…".

"Amber, I swear to God…".

"I'm in the bunker, waiting for feather-brains to bring something edible, ok? Now go do your shit and leave me alone!"

Hanging the phone up she promptly exited the garage again and ran to her room. Opening her desk drawer she took out the note she'd prepared the previous night and placed it on her pillow. She grabbed her backpack and the plastic trash bag she'd filled earlier that morning. It was heavy with everything edible from the bunker. Rushing back to the garage, her heart pounding with excitement, she got inside the Challenger. Fumbling in the glove compartment, she finally felt what she was looking for. Taking out the car key she inserted it in the Challenger's ignition. This was the exciting moment when the key slid perfectly into place and she felt the life of the engine turn over. When the car rumbled loudly she smiled triumphantly with the sensation thrilling through her body. God, this felt good. Hooking up her iPod with her portable speakers, she pulled up her favorite playlist.

Driving slowly, Amber carefully inched the Challenger close to the garage door. Rolling It down, Amber reached out of driver's side window to flip the switch that opened the large metallic door. Gripping the Challenger's steering wheel, Amber could feel the rumbling connection to the car moving through her palms, down into the steering column, and into the heart and steel of the machine. It felt good.

Taking the car out of the garage she drove cautiously into the deserted street, her face splitting into a huge grin. The car's mighty roar completely drowned out her own excited "whoop" as she floored the gas pedal. As she watched the bunker vanishing from her rearview mirror she kept the car window open, ignoring the crisp atmosphere and inhaled the smell of wet earth. Head bobbing to the music and smile growing even wider, Amber let her eyes get lost on the horizon and the open road ahead.

* * *

**꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂**

* * *

Don't freak out. Out for some air and some quality time with a friend.

I swear I'll be back by early morning tomorrow. I got a bit of a drive ahead.

Don't call Sam and Dean, they seem to be doing something important.

But then again you know more on that than I do.

Later.

-A

Castiel's eyes closed briefly as he stood rigidly in the empty room, note still in hand. He knew it hadn't been a good idea to leave her alone. He God damn well knew it, but the brothers wouldn't listen. With his free hand he reached into his pocket to retrieve his phone, hesitating a bit before unlocking it. When Amber's name popped up as his first contact he tapped on it and brought the phone to his ear. He was convinced she wouldn't answer, but at this point all he could do was try.

'You know who this is, you know what to do,' came her voicemail's recorded message.

"Amber, you need to come back right now! Call me back as soon as you get this," he said, his usual neutral tone replaced by one of worry and concern.

He contemplated calling Dean and Sam immediately, but soon decided against it. He should at least try to locate her on his own before turning to the boys. After all, she'd been left in his care. With the boys having finally tracked Lucifer down, pulling them away was not necessarily the best possible option. Not for them, not for Amber, not for the whole damn world.

Sitting on the edge of Amber's bed, he looked back at the note trying to think of where could he possibly begin looking for her. Quality time with a friend… A bit of a drive…

"Reno... Ty," he said quietly to himself as he rose to his feet and all but ran to the garage for the second time that day.

* * *

**꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂**

* * *

The Challenger had managed to devour the miles between the bunker and Denver in a bit less than five hours. It was almost four in the afternoon when Amber finally located the concert hall. Her phone was switched off to avoid being tracked down, so she had to ask around town and consult an old-school printed map. Easily finding an empty parking spot just a few feet away from the red-brick building, she hopped out of the car, biting her lip in excitement, a tiny squeal of anticipation barely contained behind her smile. Despite her exhilaration, her eyes glanced around her nervously. Even though she was alone, not a soul in sight, she moved quickly to cover her head with the hood of the oversized black hoodie she wore. Feeling sufficiently concealed, she jogged towards the entrance of the concert hall.

"Ty!"

The young man, who was sitting on the cement stairs right below the main entrance of the building, shot to his feet at the sound of his name. Spotting the grinning girl standing just a few feet away, he ran to her and all but crushed her in a vigorous hug that threatened to squeeze the air from Amber's lungs. God, he'd missed her.

"Dude! What the actual fuck? Are you ok? Where have you been? What's with all the hiding shit?" The staccato of Ty's questions were a bombardment on Amber's ears as he broke their embrace.

"Shut up! We can't talk here. I spotted a coffee shop a couple of blocks away," Amber said in a lowered tone while motioning for him to follow her. The two teens walked away giggling and bumping each other's shoulders as they excitedly moved down the road.

Less than five minutes later they entered a small coffee place. It was dimly lit, but cozy, with the strong scent of freshly ground coffee and cinnamon filling up the space. Glancing around her for a somewhat secluded spot, Amber saw the best place in the cafe, a booth next to a window which was completely covered with posters. Perfect. She made a straight shot for this booth. Once seated, she glanced around her once again, pleased with her choice. "This'll work just fine," she smiled to her friend.

The boy got comfortable on his own side of the booth as he looked at her expectantly. "Spill!"

Rolling her eyes Amber nodded towards the approaching waitress. Instantly a feeling of déjà vu rang through her and she felt her stomach tightening. Amber was pushed up against the terrifying memory of her last encounter with a waitress, who turned out to be a demon sent to abduct her. Desperate to disappear in her seat, Amber quickly spoke to Ty. "Coffee and cinnamon rolls for me. You order!" she said to her friend urgently and she promptly lowered her head and pretended to be looking for something in her backpack, as the woman finally approached.

"Two coffees and two cinnamon rolls, please," Ty said smiling to the middle-aged woman, who silently jotted down the order and moved on. Once the waitress left, Amber turned back to face her friend, smiling apologetically. "Sorry about that, but I kinda need to keep a low profile. Not being seen and stuff."

"Who's after you, dude? Have you done anything, like, seriously bad? You know you can trust me!"

"No, Ty. This is not on me. It's not something I did. More like something my parents did. I really, really can't talk about any of this shit, 'k?"

Leaning closer to the table he whispered, "Where have you been living?"

Amber opened her mouth to respond before a horrible thought crossed her mind. What if this was not really Ty? Crap!

"Amb?"

The girl silently cursed herself for not thinking to bring a bottle of holy water. She might be new to this, but always carrying a small vial on her was one of the first and most basic things Sam and Dean have taught her. Not having any other choice left she looked at the boy intently, as she opened her mouth and in a clear, yet low tone said, "Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus omnis satanica potestas…"

Ty's eyebrows almost touched his hairline. "What the hell are you…"

"omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica. Ergo, draco maledicte. Ecclesiam tuam securi tibi facias libertate servire, te rogamus, audi nos," Amber finished the prayer, ignoring his surprise.

"Dude, are you on drugs? Is that it?"

Nothing happened to Ty beyond his distressed confusion.

Unable to hold back her relieved chuckle, Amber shook her head. As the waitress returned with their cinnamon rolls and two cups of coffee she simply indicated the food, "Just a prayer before the food, Ty," giving him a cheeky grin.

Looking at her dumbfounded he could only blink for a few seconds. "A prayer?"

"My brothers… They're kinda… Believers. They've rubbed off on me, I guess," the girl answered feeling rather amused with the irony of the whole situation.

"You're living at their house or something?", Ty asked taking a huge bite out of one of the rolls.

"Yeah, we live together. All three of us," the girl retorted.

"Why couldn't they stay with you back home?"

"'Cause their place is safer. It can't be located as easily. Look, like I said I can't get into too many details. But for real, you need to know that I'm safe with them."

"So, they know you're here?"

Scoffing, she shook her head. "They'd lose their shit if they knew I was here. They're a bit overprotective like that. No, they're on a… business trip. Won't be back before the day after tomorrow. So I kinda snuck out for the concert."

"So, it's not safe that you're here?" Ty asked, his brows furrowing and his eyes narrowing with concern.

Grimacing slightly as she grabbed her own cinnamon roll, Amber answered reassuringly, "It's not too unsafe. I mean, it's a concert. There'll be hundreds of people there. I'm sure nobody will even notice me. Plus, we're miles from Reno. What are the chances that someone is looking for me in Denver, right?"

"Dude, I want nothing more than to scream right along with you while Vince shakes this place up, but I wouldn't mind at all if you just left once we catch up a bit more. I don't want you to be in any kind of danger because of me." The sincere tone of his voice and steady gaze reassuring.

"This is not because of you, alright? I've been cooped up, overstressed with all the shit going on in my life, and Sam and Dean have been too busy to do anything with me. I just need a day off. That's all. The moment Vince gets off that stage I'll get in my car and drive back home."

Eyes growing excited Ty asked, smiling, "Your car? You got a car?"

"Kinda... I borrowed it, really, but if I ever get to claim one of my brothers' cars, that will be it," she answered with a lopsided smile.

"What is it?" Ty asked eagerly.

"Don't shit your pants, ok? A Challenger. 1970 Dodge Challenger!"

"Shut up!"

"She's a beast and a beauty all at the same time!"

* * *

**꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂**

* * *

The loud ringing broke the silence of the dark bedroom, causing the green-eyed man to jolt from his dreaming state. "Cas?" he said in a hoarse voice. Clearing his throat when the angel offered no response he prompted, "Everything ok?"

"Did I wake you up?"

"Yeah, kinda. We had a long night yesterday and I was catching a little shut eye now that I can," the oldest Winchester answered gruffly. "What's up? Everything ok?" he repeated the question.

"Dean… It's… It's Amber. She left the bunker."

Feeling like a bucket of ice water had just been splashed down his spine, Dean shot from his bed, grabbing his discarded jeans. "What?"

"When I returned from the grocery store she wasn't here. She left a note saying she'd be with a friend somewhere and reassured me she'd be back by morning. So I thought she'd be somewhere between here and Reno. But I've already searched a couple of cities with zero results. I can't find her."

"How did you let this happen? What the fuck Cas? You had one bloody job! Why didn't you call us as soon as you found her gone?" Dean yelled angrily in the phone.

Sam entered the small sleeping space as soon as he heard his brother yelling, a worried expression on his face. "What's going on?"

Glancing at his brother, Dean ran a hand through his hair before speaking in a curt tone into the phone, "Get back to the bunker Cas and stay there in case she comes back!"

Sam's eyes enlarged at his brother's words, "Again?"

"Yeah, Sammy. Again," Dean exclaimed angrily, as he ended the call and tried dialing their sister's number. "Voicemail," he said in a dangerous tone. "I'm gonna kill her! I swear to God, once I get my hands on her…"

Sam closed his eyes trying to think. "Her phone. I'll try locating her phone," he mumbled as he strode back to the living area of the small motel room.

"Well?" Dean asked after a few minutes, as he paced impatiently.

"She has switched it off. It can't be traced," Sam answered quietly.

"What the fuck are we gonna do, Sammy?"

Shaking his head, his eyes fixed on his brother, Sam looked to be at a loss. "We need some sort of a lead, how else could we possibly spot her?"

"She left a note. Said she'd gone to see a friend and that she'd be back by tomorrow morning."

"A friend? From what she's told us she only has one friend. That Ty guy, from Reno, right?" Sam asked hopefully. Before Dean could even answer, Sam's fingers flew to his keyboard, "Let's try locating him, then...".

Dean kept pacing racking his brain for any possible course of action.

"Fuck! Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck! Why didn't I… Get the keys," Sam's voice boomed into the room.

"What?" Dean asked, freaking out at Sam's reaction.

"Ty's phone is here, in Denver," Sam said as he shoved the laptop in his backpack, zipping it up and grabbing the strap. At his brother confused look he impatiently added, "Do you remember how I pestered you to agree to take her to that concert she'd told me about?"

Dean's eyebrows creased together trying to understand, "The one in…"

"Denver!" Sam exclaimed.

Realization hitting him, the oldest Winchester felt stomach tightening fear hit his gut. "No! Could it… Vincente! Fuck!"

* * *

**꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂**

* * *

"Do you see her?", Dean spoke into the phone, from inside the Impala his eyes were scanning the street in front of the concert hall. Not wanting to gather too much attention they had decided that only one of them should enter the concert hall, which had just opened its doors for the audience.

"Not yet," came Sam's hoarse answer. He moved among the crowd pausing to scrutinize every figure that resembled Amber, even the slightest bit. He was almost ready to give up and head back outside to check at nearby diners and bars when, out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of a pair of female feet in combat boots, dangling off to his right. Turning his head upwards, his heart skipped a beat when he spotted his sister sitting on the edge of the metallic staircase that led to the first floor of the building. With a relaxed swing to her legs, Amber's legs were hanging between the metallic railings as she was gleefully chatting and laughing with a boy.

Turning on his heels to keep his voice directed away from her, Sam nodded curtly as he spoke into his cell phone, "Got her," before ending the call and shoving it in his pocket. He jogged to the stairs and climbed the steps, two-at-the-time. In a matter of seconds, he towered over Amber and Ty. Their heads still turning around and laughing at the sudden movement of someone closing in upon them, Sam watched his sister's face. She blanched as she realized who she was looking up at. In disbelief her mouth dipped opened, but no sound came out. The other boy simply stared at him with an expression that radiated a mixture of fear and intrigue.

"Sam? What… How... What are you doing here?" Amber managed to ask after a couple of seconds.

Eyes boring into his sister's, Sam said in a hard tone, "Lucy is here. In here! We need to get out. Now!"

Amber's face grew even paler at his words, but she didn't question this further. She motioned for Ty to follow them and she quickly got to her feet. The three of them descended the stairs and hastily shoved their way out of the already crowded space.

Sam motioned for them to follow him, as he kept glancing around them for any indication that they were being followed or watched. He led them around the small block and to the rumbling Impala waiting for them at the nearest corner.

"Inside!," Sam ordered curtly, holding the back door open for the two teens to climb in.

* * *

**꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂**

* * *

Amber felt her heartbeat slowing down only marginally when the door of the car slammed shut and the car roared away.

"Dude, what's going on?" Ty asked unable to keep his voice steady.

Amber stole an upward glance in the rearview mirror. When her eyes locked with Dean's she wished she hadn't. She opened her mouth to answer her friend, but Sam beat her to it.

"Ty, right?" the younger Winchester asked, turning in his seat to lock eyes with the unsettled young man.

"Uhm… Yeah... Her friend from Re…"

Tyler's answer was cut short when Sam splashed a generous amount of holy water on his face.

"Dude! What the fuck?" Tyler coughed out, annoyed and surprised, as he used his hands and sleeves to dry his face as best as he could.

"I already checked," Amber mumbled, but Sam completely ignored her.

"You came here all the way from Reno?" Dean asked in a gruff voice, looking at the young man through the rearview mirror, as Sam capped the bottle of holy water.

"Yes!" Ty answered hesitantly, glancing at his friend with a bewildered expression. At his silently mouthed, 'What the fuck?', Amber only shook her head and tried her best to look reassuring.

"You drove here?" Sam asked turning back to look at the kid.

"No, dude! That would take forever. I flew…"

"So we need to take him to the airport," Sam groaned as he turned towards Dean.

"What we need to do is put as many miles between Amber and… Him, as possible, Sammy!"

"Why? What did I do? I'm her friend, dude," Ty exclaimed defensively.

"They're not talking about you, Ty. Just, shut up for a bit, yeah?" Amber reassured her friend. "Guys, I drove a car here. One of you could take Ty to the airport with that."

Dean turned to look at her as he immediately halted the car. "Where is it?"

"Back in the concert hall," the girl answered quietly.

"That's ok," Sam said. "We'll walk there and the two of you can head back."

"No way," Ty immediately refused, glancing frantically between the brothers.

"Yes, Ty! Yes, fucking way! I'm gonna take you to the airport in Amber's car. There, you'll get on the first available flight heading back to Reno. Dean will take our sister back to safety. If you want what's best for Amber, you won't attempt to see her like this again. Once things are safe we'll figure out a way to get in touch with you, but for now, you'll stop contacting her. Do you understand?" Sam said his eyes locking solidly with the young man's.

Amber looked at her brother, stunned. This was not a side of Sam she was used to. His unwavering stare, his no-shit tone. It made her realize just how much she'd screwed up.

"Uhm, no offense, dudes, but I'm not gonna leave my friend with you two lunatics…"

"Yes you are, Ty," the girl interrupted him quietly, getting the Challenger's keys out of her pocket and handing them to Sam.

Three pairs of equally surprised eyes turned to look at her. She continued, "I told you before Ty, I can't let you in all the details, but there is a very powerful person after me. And Sam and Dean are the only ones who can protect me. We're trying to figure this out together, as a family. I'm glad we met today, but Sam's right. We can't repeat this anytime soon."

"Amb…" Ty immediately objected, his tone almost desperate.

"It's ok," Amber smiled sadly, as Sam exited the car. Scooting closer to Ty, she hugged him tightly. "It's really ok. They're jerks, but they care for me and they take care of me. I promise. We'll see each other again, I just don't know when, ok? You need to stay away for now. For both our sakes."

Breaking the hug Ty could only nod, his eyes reflecting cautious acceptance. When Sam opened the door closest to the boy, he got out of the Impala, and with a last glance at his friend, he closed it and followed the Sam down the street.

As the Impala sped away, Amber had an unobstructed view as she watched them walking away on the mostly empty street.

Once the car made a right turn and the pair vanished from her view, the girl lowered her eyes to her hands and swallowed with difficulty. The tension in the car was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. She couldn't bring herself to look back up into the mirror. Gaze trained on her fidgeting fingers, she quietly asked, "How did you know?"

"Ty didn't think to switch off his phone, so Sam spotted his location," Dean answered laconically.

"No, I mean, about… About Lucifer," she clarified.

"We found out a couple of days ago he was using a rock-star as a vessel. Yesterday he headed here and we followed him."

"He's in Vince?" Amber asked, her startled voice shooting up. She couldn't help stealing a glance at Dean's gaze in the mirror.

"Yes, Amber. He's in fucking Vince Vincente. Do you even realize where tonight could have led you?" Dean asked, his tone hardening considerably.

"It's not like I knew it and came anyway, ok?" the girl answered defensively in a slightly raised tone.

"Yeah," her brother scoffed. "Like that somehow makes this any fucking better!"

In a split second Amber felt her temper rising. Eyes narrowing, and head tilting upwards glaring right back at her brother, she spoke through gritted teeth. "It's not my fault you've been keeping me…"

"No, no, no! You don't get to turn this on us! We're fighting tooth and nail to keep you safe, to get rid of that bastard! You don't get to play the martyr! You get to suc- it-the-fuck-up and do as you're told!" Dean was full-on yelling now. His grip on the steering wheel was tightening as his knuckles turned completely white, his jaw squaring, and a look of fury plastered on his features.

"To hell with that," she yelled right back. "I'm not a freaking dog to keep me leashed and control my every move! If you weren't so anal about me getting some fucking air outside of your bloody Batcave I wouldn't even be here right now!"

"No, you'd be a jar of ashes, stored away somewhere in the Batcave's library," Dean barked. "Because you'd be found, taken, and killed, before you even realized it! If not by the devil and his followers, then by a terrified hunter or a self-righteous angel prick!"

"I'm not incapable of taking care of myself, you know," Amber seethed.

"Oh, right! You've been training for what, a week now? Yeah, you're right! You're good to go and face the goddamn Devil! Happy hunting," Dean bellowed sarcastically.

Anger reaching her boiling point, Amber couldn't help but scream and punch with all her might the back of Dean's seat, suddenly rocking it forward. "SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

Dean's eyes glared daggers at her through the mirror, but he somehow managed to keep his own rage under control. Reminding himself he was the adult in this situation, he took a couple of seconds and a few much needed deep breaths, before answering in what he hoped came out as a somewhat calmer tone, "The only reason I'm not pulling this car over to tan your ass right here, right now, is that I need to put as many miles between you and that fucker as possible. I am gonna shut up, not because you told me to, but because I need to think of some way of not missing the opportunity of tackling this bastard now that we've got him, while at the same time saving your disobedient ass. And you're gonna shut up and be quiet, too. Try to pull your head out of your own ass, think about what the fuck you've done...why it was so dangerous, not only for you, but also for your bestie, and how it could have ended for all of us! Am I clear, little girl?"

Amber found some of her bravado faltering at the strength of his words and his authoritative tone. It was not enough to make her contrite and sorry, but it was enough to get her to keep her mouth shut. With one final kick to her brother's seat, she turned completely to the side in the backseat, training her eyes out of the window. Taking in deep breaths she tried to calm her boiling temper. The last thing they needed was her powers blowing up the Impala with an energy blast.

Dean's words inevitably started replaying in her head. They held truth, but she just couldn't bring herself to admit it. She felt a pang of guilt over the fact that she had put Ty at risk, even if that was in no way her intention. That alone was enough to make her stomach churn uncomfortably, but for now, she managed to push that feeling to the back of her head. If her jerk of a brother was right about something, that was the need to figure out a way to not lose this opportunity of taking Lucifer down. Her thoughts trailed to all the implications she might have caused. Did he know she was there? Had anyone figured out who she was? Spotted her with Sam? Told their master? Willing her heartbeat to slow down a bit she closed her eyes and leaned against the worn leather seat. She inhaled the unique car smell and was surprised to feel some familiarity and sense of safety in it.

* * *

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* * *

Jolting in her seat, Amber groaned at the stiffness in her neck. Realizing she must have dozed off somewhere along the way she stretched as best as she could in the limited space of the car's back seat.

Dean glanced at her through the mirror, "Are you alright?"

Noting how much calmer his voice sounded, Amber nodded silently as she brought a hand to rub her neck. "Where are we?" she asked stifling a yawn.

"About an hour away from home."

Silence followed his words. Amber glanced outside at the dark road before finding the courage to speak. "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"I might have an idea. About the devil situation," she said hesitantly.

Her brother's eyes locked with hers in the mirror. "I thought you were sleeping…"

"I was thinking it over before I dozed off…" She trailed. She'd mentally add 'jerk' in there, but considering her current predicament she decided against saying it.

"I'm listening," Dean finally said, eyes focusing on the road ahead.

"So, the way I see it, you and Sam haven't yet figured out a way to kill him, right?"

"Right."

"And the two of you are mortals, meaning you could rather easily be killed by the fucker, right?"

"Where is this going, Amb?"

"What if, we offer Crowley a truce if he agrees to work with Rowena to take him down?"

Dean's eyes looked surprised when they glanced at her through the glass. "Crowley and Rowena tried to kill you!"

"Exactly! Thus, crossing me and you guys. But we all know that in this war we need each other. Them almost killing me gives us leverage. We tell them we'll call it even if they do this for us. I'm not saying becoming besties or having them over for tea, just having them bell the cat and even out the situation. I'm sure they'll be useful in the future." Amber reasoned.

"I don't think this is the way to go about this," the older Winchester replied after a few thoughtful seconds.

"You got any other ideas?" Amber challenged.

"Yeah, me and Sam…"

"Will go back to Denver and do what? Face the devil? What can you do? Salt and burn him? Exorcize him? He can't be killed by anything you own. You taught me that. And he'll turn you to dust before you get the chance to even get close to him. You know he will," she argued. "Plus think of all the things that he could do to the hundreds of people that have unsuspectedly gone to watch Vince tonight."

Dean sighed at her last words and mulled it over in his head. Grabbing his phone he made quick work of calling their brother and putting him on speaker. "Sammy? We need to run something by you," he said as soon as his younger brother answered. Looking at Amber through the mirror he simply nodded, and the girl began explaining the plan.

* * *

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* * *

When the door of the bunker opened and she and Dean stepped inside, Amber couldn't help but worriedly glance around inside a bit as she entered.

Her expression did not go unnoticed by Dean. He simply stated, "He's not here." At her surprised look, he added, "He texted me half an hour ago. He joined Crowley and Rowena. They felt they stood a better chance if they were all together."

"Right," Amber answered awkwardly as the two of them descended the stairs to the war room. Amber suddenly felt very uncomfortable and unsure of what she should do or say. Desperate for the silence to break she turned to her brother again, "Is Sam going to be long?"

"Another hour or so," Dean answered neutrally.

Silence again. "Dean…"

"Look, kid. We both know you've screwed up royally. But I am in no state to deal with any of this right now. We both need time to think things through. So go get some rest and we'll talk in the morning."

"Dean..." Amber tried in an almost pleading tone.

"No, Amber," Dean cut her off sternly. "You are to get to your room and think over all of the bad choices and decisions that you made today. All of your actions. We're gonna have a detailed talk about everything tomorrow and it's in your best interest to show us that you've understood pretty damn well why and how you screwed up."

Too exhausted to fight him over this, Amber simply turned her back and started walking out of the room.

Dean watched her for a second before calling out, "Amber?"

Turning around with a tired look on her face, she asked, "What?"

"I'm glad you're home safe. For a while… after realizing where you were and before we found you, I thought…" Dean trailed and shook his head. A look of genuine distress on his face, he continued. "Just… Remember that even if we just met, I already love you, kid. And just the thought of losing you… fucks me up. Fucks us all up."

Amber blinked at Dean's words, but couldn't manage to answer. She could barely register what her brother had just said. Simply nodding, she turned away again and continued towards her room.

Dean watched her for another second, before heading to the library. He moved to the small bar that they kept in the room and grabbed the crystal bottle that was filled with bourbon. After pouring himself a generous glass he threw himself into one of the leather armchairs.

He enjoyed the silence and stillness around him, the scent of the strong drink mixed together with that of old books and warn leather. He felt his mind relaxing the slightest bit and his eyes fluttered closed.

In what felt like only a few seconds, he woke with a start hearing the calling of his own name. As his mind cleared, his expression relaxed upon seeing Sam and Castiel standing in front of him. "Tell me you got him," he told Cas in a hoarse voice.

"Not exactly," Cas replied evenly. "Crowley and I didn't manage much, but Rowena… She managed to trap him somewhere safe for the time being. We doubt it'll lock him away for very long, but at least it bought us some time."

"So we basically lost him again?" Dean asked exasperatedly.

"No. Rowena made his vessel rapidly decay and trapped him in the deepest part of the ocean, where finding a vessel won't be an easy feat, even for him. So we technically know where he is…"

'But not when he might return," Sam supplied.

"But when he does, Rowena and Crowley are willing to help us again if we find a way to end him," Castiel added.

Dean leaned his head back in his armchair and brought his still half-full glass to his lips.

"Amber?" Sam asked then.

"I sent her to get some rest. I couldn't deal with her tonight," Dean answered tiredly.

"I'll go check on her and fill her in," Sam said quietly.

Dean glanced at the angel, as Sam left the room. "Cas, I'm sorry for losing it on you, before. We were the ones that told you to leave her alone. This is all on her."

Cas shook his head reassuringly. "It's ok. I was pretty worked up too when I found her gone. I understand."

"You don't seem mad at her," Dean observed.

"I'm not. I'm not happy with her either. But I don't see any point in getting angry. I should have known better. She's been on edge for days now. One minute she was compliant, even decent to me, and the next insulting and angry. I should have seen this coming."

"Look, with Lucifer away for now, we can take her along and keep a closer eye on her for a while. At least until he's back. Maybe get in some on-the-job training whenever possible. So this will give you a break," the oldest Winchester said after a few thoughtful seconds.

"That could work. It would leave me more time to follow up on Lucifer too," Castiel answered.

Offering a hint of a smile, Dean nodded. "Sounds like a plan."

* * *

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* * *

Mug of steaming coffee held right below her nose, the girl remained still with eyes still closed, curled up in her favorite armchair in the library. It was barely six in the morning and nobody else was up and about yet. Thankful for this, she'd had a quick shower and rushed to get her caffeine fix before having to face the Winchester brothers. After a few more deep breaths of her favorite aroma, she brought the mug to her lips drinking a generous gulp from the hot, bitter liquid. She shivered slightly as its warmth spread within her and welcomed the comforting feeling that followed this sensation. She sat enjoying the solitude that surrounded her for almost half an hour before she heard steps approaching.

Lacing her fingers around the lukewarm mug, she glanced at the library's entrance, feeling her stomach tensing a bit. When Sam's tall figure emerged she felt a tiny bit of tension leave her body.

"You're up early," her still bleary-eyed brother said, stifling a yawn.

"Excellent observational skills, Sam," Amber snorted. Her brother raised a single eyebrow to which she raised her mug for him to see. "There's coffee in the kitchen."

"Will you please join me?" her brother asked in a flat tone.

Contemplating the question for a second she asked, "Was that really a suggestion?"

Sam turned around and shuffled away as he called behind his shoulder "Nope!"

Rolling her eyes, Amber rose from her chair and followed him to the kitchen. Once there she sat in one of the chairs. Bringing her feet up to rest on the seat, Amber sat hugging her knees, hands still cradling her half-empty cup.

Sam brought the pot to the table and before filling his own cup he refilled the girl's earning a tiny thankful smile.

The two sat in companionable silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts.

"Sam?" Amber asked after a while.

"Yeah?"

"Is Cas angry with me, too?"

Sam glanced at his sister a bit surprised. "That's the last thing I expected you'd be thinking about at the moment."

The girl shrugged. "I don't enjoy playing people."

With no trace of humor or hostility, Sam countered, "Are you sure? Because you've played all of us more than once over the course of just a few days."

Her eyes glinting with surprise and hurt, the girl only stared back at him.

"I didn't mean it as an insult, Amb. I'm just trying to figure you out. You say one thing, but then all of your actions show something entirely different."

Offering a small sad smile she shook her head. "You're right about that. But… Look, I don't always get why I act the way I do. I really surprise even myself sometimes. I mean after Crowley's fiasco… This was a spur of the moment decision. I just needed some time out and when Cas told me you'd be gone longer than what you originally planned… I got angry. And I felt hurt. And I don't play nice when I feel hurt."

"You can say that again."

Amber's eyes jumped to the doorframe, where Dean was leaning.

The oldest Winchester moved to join his siblings, sitting between them. Turning to look at Amber he simply prompted, "Go on."

"That's… That's it," Amber trailed.

"That's far from it," Dean said quietly, turning to look at her, jaw set and eyes unwavering.

"It is. I just wanted to get a break. I really planned on driving right back after the concert. I swear I did. This was not another attempt at running away. I mean, Sam, you saw the car. It's not like I packed up and left. My guitar was left here, my clothes… I just wanted a break."

"Is that all you wanted, Amber?" Sam asked evenly, making her eyes turn to lock with his.

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked confused.

"I know you're not used to having people in your life. In fact, you're used in having nobody to lean on, or trust. So, I just wonder if maybe, to some extent, you simply wanted to test…"

"I'm not a bloody toddler or child testing people out, Sam," Amber groaned. "I'm almost an adult ok?"

"You've just turned sixteen, Amber. And considering how you grew up… I'm not trying to belittle you, I'm just trying to understand you," Sam countered.

"Don't try to shrink me, ok? I'm fine. I'm not used to having people worry about me, that's true. Which is why I might seem inconsiderate sometimes. But… But that's it. I just don't want you to think that I'm a bitch who tries to cause problems. If I had known that Vince…"

"That's the problem, right there, though, Amber. You don't know. You can't know. You didn't choose this shitstorm to take over your life, but you don't know who to trust besides me, Sam and Cas. I thought you learned that lesson after Crowley. And after the punishment you received for that incident," Dean said his tone low and considerably sterner compared to Sam's.

"But this was not the same thing!" Amber groaned, setting down her mug on the table loudly. "I didn't know the devil was in Vince and decided to drive there to get an autograph! I had no idea! I just wanted to do something with my best friend. I just wanted to forget all this shit for half a day."

"Then you should have asked us, instead of going behind our backs like that," Dean countered.

"But I did ask! Before you even left. And you promised we'd be doing something together, but then you didn't come back when you said you would. And I knew you'd say no if I asked to go to the concert by myself!" Amber exclaimed.

"And we'd be right to say no, wouldn't we?" Dean countered. At her incredulous expression, he repeated, "Wouldn't we, Amber?"

"Yes, but I didn't know that yesterday!"

Dean tilted his head forward, eyebrows furrowing. "Which brings us back to what I just said. You don't know. I told you before and I'll tell you again, in this world you're like an infant. You can be played by a ton of creatures without even suspecting anything. Which is why we placed the rules. Can you remind me what they are?"

"You can't be serious! Right now?," the girl groaned as she slumped back in her chair, arms folded defensively across her chest.

"Oh, I'm dead serious young lady. And I'd start cooperating a bit more right about now, if I were you," the oldest Winchester quipped. He could feel hi stemper rising

Amber took in a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. When she woke up this morning she had decided to keep her calm and try to discuss this calmly with her brothers, in order to make them understand the situation. She was sure that once they heard her out they'd realize this was an honest mistake. But it was clear to her now they didn't share her viewpoint. To them, she was nothing but a helpless kid in desperate need of protection. "You know what, I won't sit here and let you treat me like a three year old ready to be put in timeout," she said in a steady tone as she rose from her seat. "To hell with you and to hell with your rules. I thought you wanted to understand. I thought you cared about how I feel, but as it seems you just want to take out your frustration on me! So fuck you, dear brothers!"

As she started striding out of the kitchen, it was Sam's hand that circled around her forearm and stopped her from exiting. Moving to his feet, the younger Winchester brother turned the girl to the side and landed five blazing swats to her thinly covered bottom before turning her around and leaning close to her. A surprised Amber staring up at him, eyes round in shock. When Sam spoke his voice was low and made her swallow hard. "You're gonna sit back down and act like the almost adult person you claim to be. You're gonna answer our questions just like we're answering yours. You're free to use valid arguments when you feel we're wrong, but you don't get to storm out on us and swear like a sailor whenever things are not going your way!"

With that, he let go of her arm and managed to hide his own surprise when she slowly eased back down in her chair and lowered her startled eyes. Glancing at Dean, who was regarding him, a bit taken aback himself, Sam simply continued. "What you did yesterday almost cost you your life. And no matter how hard you try to frame this as nothing but an innocent mistake, you knew perfectly well it was wrong. Or you wouldn't have bothered playing us the way you did to get Cas out of the bunker. Don't you dare act like you didn't. I believe you didn't enjoy deceiving us. I can accept there were reasons that led you to make the very wrong decisions that you made, but I won't stand for a moment of you not accepting the responsibility of your own actions!"

A heavy silence followed Sam's scathing words. After a lingering minute, Dean cleared his throat. "The rules, please, Amber."

Voice wavering and quiet she finally answered, "No lying, always telling you where I'm going, no substances, and not putting myself at risk."

"So, you do remember them," Dean retorted, crossing his arms in front of his chest as he leaned back in his chair. "And which ones did you break yesterday?"

"All, but the drugs and alcohol," she answered again, uneasily.

"Small favors, I guess," Sam commented a bit dryly. "Anything else you want to say for yourself? Now's the time, Amb."

When she simply shook her head, the boys exchanged a forlorn look.

"Go on to your room then. I'll be there shortly," Dean said evenly.

Not waiting to be told twice, the girl shot from her seat and rushed out of the kitchen, face ablaze with shame and embarrassment.

* * *

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* * *

Amber had just glanced at her phone for the fifth time since being sent to her room. It was beyond her how a mere fifteen minutes could feel like an hour. The sharp knock on her door startled her a bit and she sat up a bit straighter on her spot on the bed. Her back pressed a bit harder against the headboard and her hands clasped nervously around her right ankle that rested on top of the folded beneath her left leg.

When Dean stepped inside she felt her stomach churn uncomfortably. Ignoring the feeling she met his gaze squarely. "Ready to beat up the little girl?" She asked scornfully.

Not bothering to withhold his snort, Dean simply moved to sit on the edge of her bed. Turning to look at her he retorted, "The little girl will soon learn that she can't guilt-trip me out of a well-deserved spanking."

"Yeah, well, what's well deserved in your book is really different from what's in mine!"

"Unfortunately for you, I'm the adult in this case. I'm the one responsible for you. So my book's the one that counts. Things are pretty simple around here, Amb. If you don't want to be punished don't break the rules."

"I told you a million times, I needed some time out of this madness," the girl said sharply, her voice trembling slightly.

"And I hear you. You still shouldn't have broken the rules. We'd be back sooner or later and we'd have taken you somewhere. Sneaking out behind our backs, traveling five hours away, driving Cas crazy, putting yours and your friend's lives at risk, this is not the way to go about getting out," Dean said, his tone rising slightly. It was hard to argue with such black and white logic.

"Yeah, like you would know," the girl scoffed.

"What I do know, is that if you just needed some air, or a break, or whatever else you wanna call it, you'd go for a walk around the bunker. Maybe even into town. You'd have kept your phone on, pick up when Cas called, might even have invite him to join you! You wouldn't have set up a whole story so that you could sneak out to bloody Denver! This was much more than taking some air, little girl. You can test us all you want, the result will always be the same. If you break the rules, you pay the piper."

Not waiting for her to answer, Dean reached out and took hold of her wrist. His grip with strong and Amber felt a bit of panic circle her might actually happen. Tugging her towards him Dean managed to drape her across his left knee despite her struggles. Amber tried to push herself up off of his lap, but Dean simply pushed her back down and circled his left arm around her waist as his right lowered her sweat pants and underwear in one swift motion. Amber felt the cool air ghost over her exposed bottom and she gasped in embarrassment and started to struggle against this humiliation. In response, Dean's right leg trapped her flailing ones between his own. Amber's arms were trapped out of the way of his working zone, and ignoring her groans and protests, Dean raised his hand and bringing it down sharply onto her unprotected rear. A loud crack filled the room. Dean's hand hurt from this first slap and he knew Amber's ass felt this even more. He continued on.

"So, let's go over this one more time, Amber. Why are you getting this spanking?" The oldest Winchester asked demandingly.

"Because you're an abusive ass!" The girl yelled angrily not managing to stifle her hiss of pain as more swats connected with her backside. Her sense of helplessness in this situation was infuriating.

Shaking his head, Dean remained silent as he focused the next volley of slaps on her upper thighs. "Amber, trust me when I say I can keep this up longer than you can take it. Do us both a favor and work with me here. This is punishment. Why are you being punished?"

Stubbornness managing to prevail over the smarting pain, the girl remained silent and focused all of her willpower into stopping her utterances of pain. Dean felt Amber's body become rigid and tight.

"Have it your way, kid," Dean mumbled and upped the tempo. As he peppered the bottom in front of him, a sense of déjà vu overtook him, remembering how stubborn Sam would get in similar situations. If their sister was anything like Sammy, talking to her while she was in this state of mind would be as good as talking to a wall. Focusing all of his attention on the task at hand he carefully watched her body language.

Amber felt tears welling up in her eyes as the burning pain intensified each time her brother's hand connected with her skin. She knew well enough that she couldn't keep her tough facade for long, yet the prospect of Dean winning this battle of wills made her mad. As six particularly smarting swats landed all on the same spot of her lower right cheek, she lost it. Not able to keep her sobs in any longer, she relented.

"Ok! You win! Stop, please" she managed to choke out.

"This is not a win or lose situation, Amber. You're being punished. Once you're ready to tell me what for, we can actually get on with it, 'cause we're not even halfway there, kid," Dean said sternly.

"For sneaking behind your backs and going to Denver," Amber blurted out as she grabbed fistfuls of the bed comforter.

Without an interruption of the spanking, Dean prompted, "And?"

"And for risking mine and Ty's safety," the girl said through her tears.

"Did you call us to tell us what you planned to do? To ask for permission?" Dean asked, keeping up the tempo, but reducing some of the force behind the slaps. He needed this lesson to be longer than the previous one after all.

"No! Please stop," Amber pleaded, not caring in the least bit about her dignity anymore.

"Stop? Why should I stop? I remember a very similar discussion between us. I think I was pretty clear when I warned you I wouldn't be so lenient if there was a repeat of that situation, didn't I?"

"But… But this wasn't the same," the girl wailed.

"Did you put yourself at risk?" Dean demanded as he steadily spanked Amber's disobedient backside, increasing the force of each smack. Dean's hand was leaving overlapping pink handprints as he worked, making sure his smacks covered every inch of her bottom and upper thighs.

"Yes!"

"Did you sneak behind our backs?"

"Yes!"

"Then, little girl, this sounds quite similar to me!" Dean said sternly. After ten more impressive smacks, he paused for a second, laying his hand to rest on the small of her back. When she attempted to get up his hand kept her in place. "We're not done, young lady."

"What?" The girl asked bewildered, turning tear-filled eyes to glance at him with concern.

Dean managed to ignore her tears as he informed her, "For this stunt, you're getting a few with my belt."

"Dean, no! I get it! I shouldn't have done this, please," Amber's panicked voice rising to near hysteria level, her breath hitching.

"The thing is, Amber, I'm not sure you get it. And I can't trust that you won't do something like this again. It's quite clear to me that your last punishment did not leave the impression it should have, or we wouldn't be here today. If spanking your ass is the only way to get through to you and keep you out of harm's way, then that's what I'm gonna do."

Dean used his right hand to unbuckle his belt and slide it out of the loops of his pants. Wasting no time, he doubled it and secured the buckle in his grip, before bringing it down sharply on the dark pink cheeks. He grimaced slightly at the girl's howl, but as his mind traveled to the previous day and what had brought them here this morning, his resolve strengthened. Raising the belt he brought it down, again and again, covering the whole bottom and upper thighs with fiery lashes. Small points of deep red blotches appeared on Amber's already punished bottom.

"I'm sorry! Dean, please," Amber cried as her eyes enlarged from the fierce, throbbing pain.

"Why are you sorry Amber?" Dean asked, pausing the spanking.

"For worrying you guys… And… And for leaving the b… bunker," the girl sobbed out.

As the belt connected with her hot flesh another two times, she hastened to add, "And for risking my life. I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please stop!"

Dean nodded, mostly to himself, as Amber had buried her face into the bed's comforter and couldn't see him. Deciding she sounded honest and repentant enough, he gathered his thoughts and got ready to bring this punishment to an end.

Raising the belt he brought it down twice on the bright red sit spots in front of him. "No more sneaking around," he said in a stern, commanding tone that brooked no argument.

Two more lashes on the very same spot made the girl's cries rise in volume. "No more lying! We need to be able to trust you!"

Two last impressive swats connected with her upper thighs. "No more foolishly putting yourself at risk!"

Throwing the belt next to him on the floor, Dean relaxed the hold on the girl's body. He gently tugged her clothes back up to cover her, earning a hissing intake of breath from Amber as her raw and painful bottom was covered up. Using his right hand, Dean soothingly rubbed her heaving back, letting her cry out her bawling pain. They stayed like that for a long while, Amber remained bent over Dean's lap as he allowed her emotions to calm down, rubbing her back, until the last of her sobs slowly died. When he felt her moving to push herself up he helped her and watched her turning her back to him, scooting away from him. She was mortified by this whole experience. Using her palms, she tried wiping her face clean of the remaining tears. She felt like the chastised child she was, but she couldn't fight the truth of her own guilt. She'd earned this spanking.

Getting up from the bed Dean took the two steps between them and clasped a comforting hand on her shoulder. Before he had time to do anything else, the girl spun around and threw herself in his arms. Started by Amber's hug, Dean initially leaned back in surprise the way you lean back when a large dog jumps up to lick your face. Looking down at the face of his repentant sister, Dean couldn't help but feel an emotional weight lifting off his chest as he hugged her right back and pressed a kiss on her tangled mess of hair, Dean whispered soothingly, "You're ok, kid. You're ok."

Sniffing and rubbing away stray tears, Amber broke their embrace, sitting up straight so she could look him in the eyes, Amber crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him accusingly, "No thanks to you!"

Slightly relieved that her attitude was back, Dean simply raised an eyebrow and tilted his head to the right, "Oh yeah? 'Cause I remember a certain me saving your ass yesterday."

"You didn't do much saving of my ass today though," she mumbled, breaking out in a fresh wave of blushing.

"This was a prevention type of saving. Busting your ass to make sure I won't have to save it from your own foolishness anytime soon."

Shaking her head, with a serious expression overtaking her features, she simply said, "You won't. I mean it. I get it."

Nodding Dean offered a small smile, "I really hope you do, kid. But just in case, you're grounded for the rest of the week."

Snorting, Amber asked, "Grounded from what? I'm already on lockdown anyway."

Spotting her phone on her bed, Dean walked around her, snatching it up in a forceful manner even special forces soldiers would recognize and respect. "Grounded from this, for starters. And I'm pretty sure Sam has already found at least ten volumes worth of sigils, exorcisms, and hunting theory stuff for you to copy and memorize."

Mouth gaping open, the girl looked at him shocked. "You can't be serious!"

"Like a heart attack. We're also upping the tempo of your training a bit. I'll be waking you up at six every morning for a nice long workout in the gym and then we'll be working on weapon training and hand-to-hand."

Not missing the lack of mention of her powers Amber asked, as neutrally as possible, "What about my powers? You know, training with… With Cas."

Dean regarded her intently for a few seconds before speaking. "Cas will be keeping tabs on Lucifer for a while. I think a small break from each other will do you both a world of good. You can work on them with Sam for a while."

Amber felt her stomach drop at her brother's words. Had she made the angel so angry he didn't even want to train her anymore? Managing to ignore the surge of guilt that flooded her gut, she blurted out, "But you and Sam are always away!"

"With Lucifer not being an immediate threat, for the time being we've decided it would be best to keep you with us at all times. Just for a while. So, if a job comes up you're gonna come with us. That way you can see how we work cases and if something easy comes up you can start practicing your own skills. Hone your ability on identifying types of creatures and how to take them down. We believe it will help you get a better idea of this world. Plus it might help with the escape artist act."

Eyes lighting up at the prospect, Amber needed to clarify, "You're not shitting me, right?"

Rolling his eyes Dean shook his head. "No, Amber."

"Thanks, Dean! Thanks so much," she grinned at her brother, red eyes twinkling despite the puffiness.

"Don't thank me just yet. You got some serious work ahead of you. And I'm not just talking about training. I'm talking about proving to us we can trust you. This is not just an attempt to make your life a bit easier, it's also a way to keep a very close eye on you. It's in your own hands to earn our trust and get to do more things you'll actually enjoy when the possibility comes up. But you're starting real low on the scale right now."

Flushing slightly at his words, Amber simply nodded. "I'll try, Dean."

"And I'm glad to hear that. Now, how about you lie down for a bit? It's still early and you've got a long day ahead."

"Yeah, I'd like that," the girl answered quietly.

Amber watched Dean nodding at her response. Then he grabbed his discarded belt before leaving her room and closing the door behind him. As soon as he did, she threw herself face down on her bed. A few more tears leaked out of her eyes as she decompressed from this emotionally charged experience. Both of her hands flew back to delicately rub her throbbing ass. God this stung so much! God, Dean had punished her good. Snorting at how she'd thought the last spanking she'd received from him was bad, she considered Dean's words to her the first time she'd been over his knee, " I won't be so lenient next time". Laying there, she reflected on all that had happened within the last 24 hours. It was a kaleidoscope of emotionally charged events, deceptions, near catastrophes, reunions, and rescues. When it proved too overwhelming Amber simply let her eyes close, willing herself to relax and succumbing to some much-needed sleep.

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Letting her pencil fall on the library table, Amber groaned loudly. She couldn't remember a single day in her life in which she felt as uncomfortable as she did right now. She squirmed in her chair attempting to find a more comfortable spot, but it seemed that Dean's thorough work had left not a single part of her sitting area alone. The intense throbbing pain had faded considerably since that morning, but there was enough sting left to act as a constant reminder of the embarrassing punishment. Hoping that if there ever was a repeat of such a punishment her healing powers would've finally manifested. She turned her attention to the rest of her body. Her wrist was aching from all the writing and her neck was stiff from the many hours she had spent over the old leather-bound books copying and memorizing intricate sigils and their use.

As she stretched her neck and flexed her wrists, she noticed Sam entering the room holding two steaming mugs. Amber felt her cheeks flush and an uneasiness she was not used to feeling around the younger Winchester brother. Her ass had a ghosting sensation of heat as she physically remembered Sam swatting her bottom in the kitchen. It was new to associate this sensation with Sam. Ignorant of her inner thoughts, Sam continued towards her with both hands full.

"I thought you could use this right about now," Sam said offering her one of the cups, as he sat in the chair right next to hers.

Accepting the coffee hesitantly, Amber offered a small smile. "Thanks."

After a few silent, awkward seconds, Sam gestured to her notes and sigil copies. "You've done a great job with these," he commented.

"Thank you," Amber answered again, eyes lowering to the glistening black liquid in her mug and biting her lower lip.

Sighing, Sam rested his own cup on the table and clasped his hands together, "Amber, you haven't spoken a single word to me since this morning. Could we please just talk about this?"

Amber willed herself to glance at him. His creased brow, his all-but-pleading eyes... Despite not feeling particularly eager to talk, she felt unable to refuse this particular look Sam was giving her. Hesitantly, she nodded. "Sure, Sam."

"Are you mad at me? For… For giving you those swats?" her brother asked, flushing a bit himself.

"I… No?" Amber answered...lamely.

"Are you asking me?" Sam asked with a small, awkward laugh.

"No," she shook her head. "I'm not mad, it's just… It felt weird. I had never seen you angry at me before. Not like this."

"But I wasn't angry. Well, not entirely. I was… I still am, kind of terrified," he said quietly. His low voice, unexpected words, and open vulnerability brought Amber up short.

Fingers lacing around the hot porcelain, and bringing the mug close to her nose so she could inhale the comforting smell, Amber turned surprised eyes at him. "What?"

"I'm terrified, Amber. I'm terrified that we're not really giving you what you need. I'm terrified we won't be able to protect you. Every time you pull a stunt like this, and we have to come down hard on you, I fear that you'll spend your time with us wishing you were anywhere but here. But, then again, if we don't I'm terrified that you'll end up dead after some thoughtless, careless action."

At the sincerity of his words and the worry in his eyes, Amber couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. "Sam, no… I… Some of the things you said… Most of them, really, are true. And that's why they bug me so much. I've been alone all of my life. I'm not a team player. I have a ton of issues, trust issues among them. And I hate talking about any of these. And I wouldn't if I had a choice. But, please, don't feel like any of this is on you. 'Cause it's not. It's on me. I love that I've got to meet you guys. I hate the circumstances we're in. I hate that I fear for my life every minute of every day, that I can't go out and have one ounce of normalcy in my life... But I'm so happy I'm with you. That I got to meet my family before...". Sam's heart skipped a beat as he thought he knew where his sister's statement was leading.

"Hey!" His sudden sharper tone made her cut her phrase short. "You're not going anywhere. We won't allow it. Amb, you've gotta start helping us instead of challenging us every step of the way."

Offering a small smile she shook her head, "I really don't do it on purpose. I don't want to make your life hard, Sam. It's just kind of my default reaction. Do you believe that?"

Brown orbs boring into her green ones he nodded. "I do. Can you at least try to talk to us a bit more? When things get overwhelming?"

"I can try. But there's a bunch of Winchester genes in me that don't always cooperate with the whole thinking before acting thing…"

Chuckling lightly, Sam shook his head. "Yeah, I'm well acquainted with those."

"I'm sorry I'm being so much trouble. Sometimes I think you'd have been so much better off without ever meeting me," she said quietly, lowering her gaze, shoulders slumping.

Using his index finger to tilt her head back up to look at him he stared at her intently, "Don't you ever say that again. Don't you even think it. We're family, Amber. Family."

A small smile slowly forming the girl simply nodded, "Yeah. I guess we are."

 

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	8. And There's Always a Big Mess Left Over

**A/N: Hello dear readers. It is with great honor and excitement that I present you Chapter 7! This chapter was co-written with the amazing and very talented Lau Whisperer. We are very excited with the way this chapter ended up and with all the ideas and plans we have for the collaborative continuation of this story. Please spend a minute to let us know how you all liked it! Feedback makes us better writers and happier people!**

**Enjoy!**

**Title Credit: Lyrics from the song "What the f**k was I", by Jenny Owen Youngs. Album: Batten The Hatches, 2005.**

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Eyes moving across the page, steady and focused, Amber implored all of her self-discipline to keep her concentration about her and absorb its contents. Despite the fact that the lore study Sam had outlined for her was deeply fascinating, she was starting to feel drained from the daily effort and time it demanded. Taking a break to rub her neck, head turning from side-to-side, she heard his steps before she saw his face. Pushing the door open with one shoulder, Sam entered the library holding two cups of coffee, face open and smiling, dimples showing. "Ready for a break?"

Instantly, the scent hit her and her entire brain lit up. How many times had coffee been the One True North for her during the last few weeks. After her near-encounter with Lucifer, Amber had been diligently applying herself to the routine Sam and Dean had created for her, and inadvertently themselves, as its enforcers. The taking down she'd received, at the hands of both brothers, had been a painful wake-up call for her. However, Amber had watched her own powers grow in strength and understood that this was the only way for her to increase her chances of survival. Improving her control over her powers, learning the ways of the hunters, and training her body for reflexive defense… It was as if she'd been dropped into hostile territory and was being taught how to survive the attacking natives while running at top speed, head down, through the bush. Even though she'd never admit it to them, Sam and Dean had managed to turn this period of two short weeks into a meaningful regimen that aimed, not to punish her, but to strengthen her. Something that was happening in more ways than one.

Stopping her trailing thoughts, Amber responded to the offered coffee with a glint in her eyes. "Gimme!" She extended her hands in a beckoning manner with fingers fluttering in a gesture that made her brother smile.

Sam loved her playful side that invited his response and repartee. He'd think of a comeback… Eventually. For the moment Amber's compliance with her studies, and training, was a relief. He crossed the room and eased himself into one of the chairs closest to his sister's before offering her the steaming mug. Amber enclosed eager fingers around it, bringing it close to her nose to inhale the strong aroma. Her eyes closed as she took that first appreciative sip.

"Any new insights on vamps?" Sam asked conversationally. A study-break was the perfect opportunity to informally quiz Amber without sending up any of her defenses. He talked in a quiet, non-threatening tone, a tone he'd learned to instinctively adopt when speaking to his sister. For all of her attitude and bravado, she was as emotionally skittish and reactionary as a stray cat.

"Yep. They're major dickhea…" Catching herself before she could finish that particular word she flashed a smug, toothy smirk at her brother. "They're pretty lame guys," she amended as she took the first sip of the hot, black beverage.

One thing Amber had yet to get used to was catching herself before swearing in front of Sam. She liked Sam. She liked how easy he was to get along with, to relate to. How he made an effort with her. He didn't act all controlling, yet he kept a close eye on her, making the girl eager to please him. She'd never admit this, but this was the truth of the matter. For Sam she made extra effort.

Dean, well, Dean didn't mind her colorful words. Hell, he'd been using them as a significant portion of his normal vocabulary since John had regularly chewed him and Sam out starting at age six, from what her brothers had told her. But Sam, maybe for the exact same reason, wasn't fond of them in the least… At least not coming from her. And Amber didn't mind it. This was the first time anyone, aside from Ty, had had any kind of an expectation of her. She didn't understand why, but this gave her the desire to try harder and be better. For Sam.

"Not burning in the sunlight is really disappointing. I'd love to see that happening. Or chasing them about, throwing garlic cloves on them..." she added in a wishful tone, not giving her brother time to comment on her slip.

Hiding his own smirk in his mug, Sam downed a long sip before mentioning, "Actually, what's commonly thought to be vampire hunting is really practices dating from Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt."

"Egypt had vampire lore?", Amber asked surprised. Her face was relaxed and intrigued. A look Sam had never seen on her face before. It was nice. Leaning back in his own chair he continued on.

"Yep. There were many rituals and mummification practices specifically to prevent the dead from rising as vampires. This knowledge was revived again in Eastern Europe, as well as in England, in the dark ages. Like most places, folklore, local custom and religion were all mixed together. The region of Padua, in Italy, was another very active site for vampire lore in the Middle Ages and well into the Renaissance. To this day historical grave excavations show clear signs of having been opened up not long after the death of the corpses and bones were disturbed in very specific ways to keep them from coming back as vampires." Sam glanced at the girl and seeing her completely immersed in what he was saying, he smiled widely. Dean was never interested in hearing such things. It was nice having someone who was actually willing to listen to him. With that thought he eagerly continued.

"As a matter of fact, there were even some instances of vampire hunting in 17th century New England. The practices were brought over from Europe. Vampire lore has been a part of religious practice since the very beginning of organized religion. Even Japan has its own version of vampire lore. All around the world, the lore commonly includes the standard stake through the heart, a stone between the teeth, the arms and legs bound, filling the grave with crosses and garlic... None of these traditions included decapitation… which is the only way to actually kill a vampire."

Amber looked at her brother disbelievingly. How could he possibly remember and recite so much information about a single monster species was beyond her. She had spent the better part of the last two afternoons studying these creatures and all that had stuck was the decapitation and something about dead man's blood. Realizing she didn't remember what a hunter could do with the latter she fought the urge to groan and made a mental note to herself to review that material tomorrow. Keeping her thoughts to herself she only commented, "Joke's on them, right? Fact is, though, there's no way I am strong enough to decapitate one of them. I researched it and it appears you need to be, like, very, very strong to manage slicing somebody's head off."

"While that's true, hopefully you'll never have to decapitate one of them," Sam answered. He paused to sip his coffee as his eyes traveled to the ceiling. "If I remember correctly, Cas has managed to kill one by simply touching its head." Eyes returning to lock with the girl's, he added, "I suggest you ask him to share with you how you could possibly manage that with your own powers."

The slight slump of her face and shoulders at her brothers words didn't go unnoticed. Amber felt her aversion to anything Castiel come upon her. "I will. When he gets back," was her lackluster response, eyes cast down and to the side as if avoiding looking directly at this suggestion.

Sam, taking this all in, continued sipping his coffee. "Yeah. Well.. Until then, I'm sure Dean is pushing you more than enough in weight-lifting and hand-to-hand combat training. Your strength will increase. You just have to be patient. Like with everything else," he told her in an encouraging tone.

Amber's eyes looked up at his, as she lowered her coffee. His words seemed to have a very different effect than what he expected. Sam watched her mouth and nose scrunch up into a sour smile. Her frustration was never far from the surface.

"More than enough is an understatement. I don't think I've ever been so sore and tired in my entire life. Even making my old house livable was less tiring than an hour in the gym with  _your_ brother. And my neck and back have you to thank for crouching over books for hours on end. It's not like I'll be able to memorize everything at once anyways."

Sam heard the whine in Amber's voice for what it was; her not having much of a choice in the matter. He empathized with her situation, but ultimately, this all had to be done for her to grow into her powers and remain safe as she matured into her life as a nephilim. Sitting up taller in his chair, he looked at his sister. She was sitting in what used to be  _his_  favorite chair, but was now  _her_ favorite chair. He watched her body shift through her emotions. It had become a habit of his, in order to really see and know if her words were really telling him the truth, to watch her body language. She had tells. That slight eye blink, the involuntary shoulder twitch, or a sideways glance all meant, ' _not the truth'._ He hadn't noticed any of these recently, but nonetheless, he kept looking for the signs. He and Dean had had many private discussions about her past lying, and they were still guarded about fully believing her. She'd done a lot to break their trust, even as she was now trying to earn it back.

Sam's assessing gaze wasn't lost on the girl. She had a feeling he was measuring her words and gestures for deeper meaning. She felt his scrutiny. Reflecting on her life before, and leading up to living with her brothers, lying was indistinguishable from breathing. Not lying, but being truthful was dangerous. Yet, she still understood the difference. But lying was necessary and it was convenient. Or at least it was until she acquired two older brothers. Their lack of trust was well founded. She understood that she'd done this to herself, and her brothers had every reason to continue to second-guess her words and deeds. Yet, a part of her resented this enforced change and constant appraisal.

"Stop it, Sam! Stop analyzing my every twitch, will you? Geez!" She complained through clenched teeth.

Sam just silently gazed at her, eyes steady and knowing. Amber hated this particular gaze. She couldn't blame him for doing it - not after Denver- but she absolutely hated it. She'd almost gotten Ty and herself killed. She'd stolen one of their cars. But that was two weeks ago now. They should start trusting her by now. Her intense and conflicting thoughts had her head growing heavy. A headache slowly began its temporal spread, leading up to the top of her head.

Sam decided to put an end to her discomfort and finally broke the silence. When he spoke his tone was even, but firm. "Amber, you understand Dean and I want to trust you, want to be able to rely on you when it counts the most. You've done well, very well in fact. I've been telling Dean how much sharper you are than he was at your age. He loves that you're a natural at this, even if it's a joke at his own expense, but you have to understand, the mistake you made was enormous."

Amber's body tensed up. She folded her arms across her chest as she leaned to the left, slightly curling in upon herself, as she remained facing Sam. She fought the urge to stalk out of the room at his words. She reminded herself about the one-and-only time Sam had raised a hand to smack her backside. She'd learned that blasting her brothers with angry words and stripping them of their right to express their opinion didn't bode well for her. Instead, she took in a deep breath and closed her eyes momentarily, in an attempt to compose herself, before releasing a quiet sigh.

"I know. Sam. I know. And I'm doing my time. I'm doing the work. It's just… Too much. I get that the training never really ends and I get how useful it is. I really do. I just wish we could, like, slow down a bit. Plus, if you don't give me the chance to prove myself to you, how will you be able to trust me again?" Her eyes steady and slightly defiant, Amber kept them even with Sam's, boring deep into her brother's eyes as she waited for him to reply. At the lack of an immediate response Amber's arms fell to rest in her lap, palms up on top of the still open book that rested on her thighs. Her shoulders slumped to the left as she finally opened up to the truth of herself, letting her defenses down. "Sam, I'm trying. All I can say is, I'm really trying." Her tone was sincere and Sam felt this.

"I know, Amb. I can see it," Sam answered kindly. Shifting to sit up straighter in his chair, he leaned forward, looking Amber in the eye. "And I also see that it's time to feed the scholar." Slapping both of his palms down on the tops of his thighs, signalling a change in the conversation, Sam stood up and extended a hand to his sister.

Amber hesitated for only a second before she placed the silver knife, that functioned as a bookmark, between the pages she'd just finished. Placing the book on the table off to her left, Amber extended her hand and, with a small tug, she let Sam pull her up to standing. He smiled at her warmly for accepting his help. Unable to keep her own smile from forming, at the sight of his dimpled, happy face, she felt a trace of happiness poking at her own heart.

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Dean trained vigilant eyes on his sister. He paced around her, rubbing his chin in contemplation and studied every detail of her stance. Five muffled gunshots ripped the silence of the range. As they both removed their ear protection, Amber secured the safety, and placed the gun in its holder. Their eyes moved to examine the holes in the target, as they removed their ear-protection.

"Not bad. Not bad at all," Dean commented with a hint of pride in his tone as he stepped up beside the girl.

Crossing her arms across her chest, Amber scrunched up her nose and lifted the left side of her mouth in evident disappointment. "I was aiming for the head when I got the neck, at the heart and got the stomach, and at the lung and got the lower abdomen. That's the very definition of bad. Of course it's not a surprise that we've got different standards..."

Dean managed to keep his tone and face neutral at her sarcastic insinuation and settled for simply shaking his head and leaning against the half wall that separated the target area of the room. Jabbing a thumb behind his shoulder he locked eyes with Amber as he told her, "Most of these shots would be lethal. Especially the ones in the neck, stomach and lower abs. These would stop anyone and buy you a bit more time to shoot again. The important thing right now is that you perfect your stance and grip. Aiming improves with practice. You'll get there."

Letting her hands fall at her sides with a sigh, Amber proceeded to free her brown locks from their tight ponytail. She shook out her hair, feeling the air pass through her strands. Lips pursing into a thin line she said, "It's the damn recoil. It jerks my hands away from where I aim." The last thing she wanted was to give Dean the satisfaction of correcting her, but she had to prioritize. Learning how to handle a gun effectively outweighed her desire to torture her brother the only way she could: Not talking to him for anything unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Good catch. The recoil takes a while to get used to before it stops fucking up your aim. After a certain point it will be yet another thing that you'll do automatically without even thinking about it. You'll learn to take that little kick into account and adjust your aim. You also need to relax your shoulders a bit. The more tense your shoulders are, the sharper the recoil effect."

Amber simply nodded. She tried to school her face in an expression of indifference and slight boredom, while in reality she was repeating Dean's words in her head in an attempt to memorize them.

"You're a natural kid," Dean smiled a few silent seconds later.

"Unlike you, from what I hear," she answered coldly.

Face dropping, Dean crossed his arms over his chest and leveled his unamused eyes with hers. God damn she loved slapping him with her words. "I wasn't as fast a learner. Not like you. But I was decent. Sam though... It took Sam years of gun training to get where you are right now." At her lack of response, and in an attempt to bring some levity into their conversation he added, "In the first few hunts dad let him join in... Damn! We were more worried about him accidentally shooting us than what any monster could do."

Amber didn't manage to drown the amused snort his words evoked. She couldn't hide this smile from Dean, either. Clearing her throat, and inwardly cursing at the stiffness she felt, she moved her eyes away from Dean and stretched her arms wide, feeling some of the tension leaving her sore muscles.

Noticing her discomfort Dean said evenly, "Look, I know we haven't been going easy on you. In fact we've been John-Winchestering your ass in more ways than one over the last two weeks, but we see the progress. And we see you're putting in an honest effort."

Amber rolled her eyes at his words. "Sam beat you to the pep talk, so you might as well save your breath."

Dean's jaw clenched as he looked at his sister intently. He hadn't expected her to be little miss sunshine over these last couple of weeks. Especially not after he'd spanked her for the Denver incident. But her cold and distant demeanour was steadily blossoming into a passive aggressiveness he was having an increasingly hard time letting slide. The kid was good. He'd hand her that. She measured her behavior enough to annoy, and even hurt him, without being outright challenging. She wasn't doing anything specifically to risk further punishment or scolding, but Dean's patience was running thin. He tried to follow Sam's advice and simply give her time.

"I'm glad he did. Sam has experienced first hand how much of a hardass I can be. I'm glad he steps in to remind you that we see your effort. 'Cause we do. Both of us. I know I'm not saying it often, Amber, but you're doing well. And I'm proud of you."

Amber managed to hide her surprise at hearing his words. Dean Winchester expressing anything beyond annoyance and anger, let alone pride, was not a common occurrence. Her only response was, "Are we done here?"

Dean regarded her for another second before nodding. "Yeah. We're done. Let's get some food into you," he said as he led the way out of the range.

"I'm not hung…"

Responding in his deep baritone, Dean cut her off, "And I don't remember asking you if you were." He turned to look at her warningly from the doorframe. "It's been four hours since your last snack and you've trained too hard today. You have to eat."

Rolling her eyes impressively, Amber huffed a "Fine," before passing him and heading to the kitchen.

As she entered the kitchen, Dean following closely behind her, she spotted Sam. He had his nose mere inches away from his laptop's screen, as his right hand was blindly jotting down notes on a small notepad.

Happy that Sam was in the eating space, and she didn't have to spend any more time alone with her oldest brother, Amber moved behind him. After their vampire discussion, she was curious to see what had caught his interest. She glanced at the post he was reading in a news blog.

"Priest claims demons walk among us," she read the title out loud, her head cocking slightly to the right. Eyes flashing with excitement, she brought both hands to clasp on Sam's hunched shoulders. Leaning closer to him she asked, "We got a case?"

Dean turned his head from where he was rummaging through the fridge and glanced at his brother. After a silent stare between them, Sam nodded. "Looks like it, yeah. Mason City. Freaky death of a young woman. Priest claims she walked into the church bleeding, before she collapsed dead."

Dean, face buried in the fridge again, asked, "What's freaky about that?"

"That something invisible was flaying her, while she was in there."

"That's so rock," Amber commented, feeling excitement replacing the bad mood she was in while with Dean. At the incredulous look she received from Sam, she shrugged and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, not that she died… but… you know…" A big grin slowly developing, she simply stated, "We got a case!" Eyes darting briefly to Dean before returning to Sam, she then asked, "When are we leaving? You're taking me with you, right? You  _promised_  you would. You promised and I've been a model prisoner!" Her tone reflected concern and fear of betrayal. Not getting an immediate response, Amber felt her heart start to drop to her stomach, fearing that her brothers had changed their minds and would leave her behind.  _This couldn't be happening. Not again_.

Sam and Dean glanced at each other and seemed to have reached a mutual conclusion, yet remained silent for a quarter of a second too long. The older Winchester finally closed the rumbling fridge's door and turned to fully face the girl. "Go pack your bag and meet us in the war room. I want you to see how we pack the weapons duffel. We'll grab something to eat on the road."

The grip of fear eased up on her chest. The flood of past broken promises that was playing on her inner theater, slowed down to a trickle. Gaining a hold on herself, Amber felt her shoulders relax. A grin slowly developed on her face, despite the fact it was Dean who was standing across from her. This was good. This was happening and she'd worked hard for this. Not wasting time, Amber jogged out of the kitchen, for once happy to be following the orders she'd received. As she hurried to her room to pack, the unfamiliarity of her joy overwhelmed her; this lightness, this excitement was something she hadn't experienced in a very long time. Being happy felt weird, and she didn't entirely trust it. Yet, she welcomed and savoured it.

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"So, what we're aiming for is to basically be prepared for everything. The first clues of the case sometimes give us a good idea of what we're facing," Dean explained as he showed Amber how to safely open a shotgun and load it with salt-filled shotgun shells.

"But sometimes things can end up vastly different from what we're expecting," Sam chimed in. "So, ensuring every weapon is ready for use and in good condition is paramount."

"It's also pretty boring keeping these babies in good condition. They need frequent cleaning, oiling, sharpening, you name it," Dean explained. Smirking, he shot a glance at Sam before turning back to look at Amber, who was currently examining a small handgun similar to the one they had in the range. "Sammy hated this growing up. It was dad's go-to punishment every time he deemed handing him his ass wasn't enough."

Sam turned annoyed eyes at his brother. "Really mature, Dean" he said sourly, before turning to Amber. "Dean was too lazy to get his butt off the couch. So his go-to little extras were five-mile-runs."

Shrugging, and unbothered by Sam's share, Dean focused on Amber's hands as they moved to load the small gun. "Great job," he praised satisfied with her time and efficiency. "Once we're back I'll teach you how to clean them, too."

"And we'll have to go over emergency packing. You need to always have a bag packed and ready to go. Today it took you a bit too long to gather everything. Even though it doesn't affect us too much in this instance, there are times that we need to be able to leave at a moment's notice," Sam pointed out.

Amber, placing the last gun in the duffel bag and zipping it close, talked for the first time throughout their prep period. "It took me a while, 'cause I had to go through your drawers for a clean sweater to borrow. I can't have a bag always ready 'cause I don't have more than two changes of clothes."

Sam's internal dialog jumped into ALL CAPS. Amber had gone through his drawers? She'd gone into his room? Sam pieced her words and actions together. She'd rattled this information off to him as if it was a standard way of getting new clothes. For all he knew, maybe it was. But she'd been so happy to be going on a hunt. This was good. Happy was good. Then the image of Amber in one of his sweaters, it hanging nearly down to her knees, amused him.

Glancing at each other briefly the brothers turned in her direction, smiling at her. "That's going to change," Dean stated.

At Amber's confused look Sam cleared his throat. "As we've discussed, your effort and diligence have not gone unnoticed, Amb. The fact that we're allowing you to come on this hunt will be a way for you to prove to us that we can indeed trust you. That being said, we think a short trip to a mall, for you to buy the things you need is something you've more than earned. You've worked hard over the past two weeks. Not that we wouldn't buy you everything you needed if you hadn't put in the effort, but instead of having some random sales lady pick everything out, you get to have some fun and choose what you like. It's high time we turned this place into a home for you."

Amber's eyes widened in excitement as they darted between the two men in front of her. "Please tell me you're not shit… That you mean it? This isn't a joke, right?"

Rolling his eyes Dean grabbed hold of the weapon duffel's straps. "Go get your stuff, kid. We need to get going. We got shopping to do."

Not even glancing at Dean's direction, but unable to contain her excitement, Amber cupped her hands over her mouth, releasing a short squeal of excitement. Amber's eyes were sparkling in a way that neither man had ever seen up to this in the direction of her room, she darted off not wanting to waste another second before the beginning of their roadtrip.

Sam's face changed to that of sadness. Her enthusiasm spoke deeply to the profound lack of commitment to even the tiniest of necessities and support while Amber was growing up. Wishing they had gotten to her sooner, he turned to gaze at his brother. Amber had been hard on Dean and he wasn't immune to her words. Sam had heard her sassing him or slapping him verbally with her sarcasm. She didn't forgive easily. While Amber was excited at the moment, he wondered when she would flip on the mean switch. It was so fast, and so random, it could be frightening. Despite Dean's neutral expression, the younger Winchester had learned to see through his brother's tough facade. He had been hurt by Amber's words. Mentally noting this, Sam decided he was going to have a talk with the girl about this situation the first chance they got. Still sitting, Sam cast his eyes over Dean's schooled expression. It wasn't often he felt his brother had been wronged, Dean could be an outright dick, but he felt this now. Silently, Sam stood up, pushing his chair back as Dean pushed back his own. Hot and cold running emotions taking their toll on them, Sam could only hope this shopping trip and hunt would soften Amber up towards Dean.

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Amber clutched the straps of her backpack awkwardly as she stepped inside the first large store of the busy mall. At the several pairs of female eyes that turned to glance at them, she turned to face Sam and Dean. "Can't you just wait outside? We're drawing more attention like this," she told them, hating how pleading her own voice sounded.

"We don't feel comfortable with you being all alone, Amb. We've already talked about this. Now that you're… you know... unbound, demons and angels can tell what you are. We can't risk it. We'll be real discreet, though. Don't worry."

If Sam's tone failed to reassure her, Dean chiming in with a scoff of, "Yeah, you won't even know we're here," made her groan in frustration. Her shoulders slumping, she looked up at her brothers, head slightly tilting to one side, an annoyed look on her face. Then, shaking her head, Amber turned her back to the brothers and glanced around her wondering where all her excitement had gone. Refusing to let her current predicament completely ruin this for her, she retrieved her phone, which was already hooked up with her headphones. Pulling up her music player app and hitting the play button, she placed the earbuds in her ears and let the blaring music drown out everything else, as she moved to the denim section. As her hands caressed and felt the various garments, she realized this was the first time she was shopping without having to worry about paying out of the little income she had or even worse, about stealing. Catching her lower lip between her front teeth she unconsciously started chewing on it, attempting to ignore the annoying little voice in her head that kept telling her how nice it was of  _both_ of her brothers to let her do this.

Sam and Dean watched their sister as she moved through the sections of clothing, touching everything. .

"What the hell is she doing?" Dean asked in a hushed tone, eyes slightly narrowed and head tilted to the side.

"It's how women shop. Apparently, Amber likes to touch the clothing before she decides. It's a sensory thing I guess," Sam attempted to explain. "Jessica used to do this as well," he added with a small, reminiscing smile.

Dean, taking this all in, found his patience already running thin. "Jeans are jeans, Sam. Can't she just pick a pair and be down with it?"

Sam, knowing his brother's gruff impatience with anything touchy-feely, simply turned to him and said curtly, "Don't you dare say that to her. This is most likely her first time to really enjoy picking anything she likes for herself. You remember how we only got the necessities and second hand stuff… And nothing else? Remember? She's had the same thing, but she actually cared about how she looked. As long as we can keep our eyes on her, she gets to shop, understand?"

Dean, not used to his younger brother giving orders, was taken aback. Mulling Sam's words over in his head he finally nodded. He could do this. "Fine. As long as we can see her, she gets to touch every damn piece of cloth… Unless it takes  _too_ long. Agreed?"

Sam, not used to winning an argument so easily, simply nodded. Done with their argument, both men turned to look around the store. Everywhere they looked women were thoughtfully considering single pieces of clothing, holding them up to look at themselves in mirrors, letting their fingertips trail along the racks as they cruised through aisles, and digging through value bins of piled clothing. All the other shoppers were doing some version of what they'd just seen their sister do. Feeling very out of place Sam opted to move along the perimeter of the store, keeping Amber in easy sight. No exorcism ritual or goofer dust could prepare him and Dean for raising a teenage girl and all that entailed.

Walking through the aisles, Amber finally opted for a pair of plain dark blue jeans, a black pair with rips, and one in light grey. Then she moved onto the next rack, which was lined with plain unicolored short and long-sleeve t-shirts. She grabbed four of each kind in the darkest colors available. Satisfied, she slowly continued strolling among the different sections. A mannequin sporting a short black denim dungaree dress caught her attention and she smiled excitedly as she rushed to find her size in the next rack over. Turning around she noticed Sam and Dean looking at the mannequin with less than impressed eyes, but she chose to ignore them.

Two dresses, one skirt, four pairs of leggings, and two sweaters later, Amber turned to her brothers, lowering the volume of her music. "Too much?" She asked looking at them questioningly.

"Do you need everything?" Sam asked back, not judgement in his tone.

"Well, yeah," Amber answered awkwardly. "But I don't want you to overspend on me," she added hastily.

"Don't worry about money at the moment. Just make sure you get everything you need," Dean said in what he hoped came out as a pleasant tone as he shoved his hands in his pants pockets.

Amber nodded and offered a small smile. "Well, I'd better start trying them on."

"Wh.. All of them?" Sam asked glancing at the small mountain of clothes draped over her left arm.

"Well, except the leggings, obviously!" Amber answered matter-of-factly, as she headed for the dressing rooms.

Dean glanced at Sam with an almost desperate look, but neither of them spoke as they slowly followed the girl. They paused a few feet away from the fitting rooms and leaned against the wall next to a small counter where a young woman was folding discarded clothes. These were pieces that had been left behind in the numerous dressing rooms. She smiled at Amber and pointed her to a vacant dressing room, before glancing at the boys.

Dean, familiar with how he affected women and greatly enjoying it, smiled at her and winked, causing her cheeks to lightly flush. Looking mildly flustered, the young woman looked down at the floor before quickly looking back up at Dean and smiling back at him. It had been only for a moment, but the young woman's gaze had been steady and friendly. Then once again she busied herself folding the discarded clothes.

The next few minutes passed in relevant silence, till Amber's voice was heard. She appeared through the thick curtain that sectioned off the dressing dressed in the tight, ripped black denims and one of the t-shirts. She looked at her brothers expectantly. Receiving only their neutral expressions she prompted, "Well?", as she slowly spun around herself. "What'd you think?"

Dean opened his mouth and closed it again looking at her in complete confusion. What was he supposed to say to his baby sister? Sam had never asked him his opinion on jeans. He had zero reference on how to answer any question about jeans. "Well... I mean... It's…" He attempted, bringing an awkward hand to rub at his neck.

"Yeah... Totally?" Sam added unconvincingly, looking even more uncomfortable than his brother.

Amber looked at them desperately. "Not helpful!"

The young woman, who was silently watching them, unable to keep her amused chuckle at bay, bit her lip and turned to Amber. "It looks great on you. It shows off your butt very nicely, too!"

Amber turned to her with surprised eyes. "Thanks… I think." she answered as she turned her head to check out the aforementioned part of her anatomy in the mirror.

"That's what I'm here for," the woman said in her high pitched voice. Don't bother trying on the rest of the jeans. They're all the same line. I'd put on the dresses, though. Check what the length's like on you. Not that you'll have any trouble with those legs!"

Amber's eyebrows shot up at these words and she could hear Sam clearing his throat loudly. She wondered how common it was for strangers to make such comments on one's body during shopping. Having never been to a store with anyone but Ty, whose commentary was limited to "dope" and "hot" no matter what she had on, comments like the saleswoman's, no matter how helpful, made her a bit self-conscious. Offering a small smile to her, she turned her back to get back to the dressing room, her face blushing.

"Your daughter?" The young woman asked smiling, glancing at Dean and then at Sam.

Dean blanched as he looked at her with bulging eyes. "No! Nooo. No, we're not… We're her brothers! She's our little sister!"

Smile widening the woman amended, "Oh, apologies. Your family resemblance is strong and, given the age difference, I just assumed … Well, sorry about that. This is very sweet of you to bring her shopping," she added winking at Dean.

Dean's face turned from awkward to flirty in less than a second. Body leaning over the counter and resting his elbows on it he said, in a deep voice, "Yeah, well. Anything for the kid, ya know. I didn't catch your name?"

"Darleen," the blonde woman almost purred. Dean's flirting had worked up her confidence and she was becoming even bolder.

"Well, It's really nice meeting you, Darleen," the oldest Winchester answered looking in her eyes intently.

"For the love of…" Sam mumbled as he rolled his eyes.

"Ok, how's this?" Amber's voice made all three adults turn eyes on her.

Darleen clapped her hands excitedly, while Dean's eyes bulged and Sam's lips pursed together. The burgundy lace dress hugged her lean body impressively. It's length allowed more than enough leg to show and the same could be said for the low cleavage.

"Oh, honey, this was  _made_ for you. Give me a spin… Oh yes! You're not leaving here without it! I won't allow it! Absolutely stunning!" Darleen said enthusiastically. It felt to the brothers as if the air had leaked from the room and they were gasping like fish in a draining pond.

"Well, unless you don't feel too comfortable… With it being so… Short… And tight and all," Dean mentioned these details hastily while failing to mask all of his displeasure.

"Oh, nonsense, Dean," interjected Darleen, waving a manicured hand at him as she ushered an amused Amber back to the dressing room.

Twenty minutes later the three Winchesters exited the shop having bought several more items than what Amber had originally chosen. Darleen insisted she bought at least a few accessories such as purses, belts and scarves, and Dean simply happened to agree.

As they strolled out, Amber was looking at the bags filled with her new belongings. This was unlike any shopping trip she'd ever been on. She'd got to buy so much at once. Feeling the weight of the shopping bags, she found herself stealing a glance at Dean and Sam. It was quiet and hidden, but she felt her heart filling with affection. The boys had spent a nice little sum on her and hadn't batted an eye. Eyes drifted to the new pair of jeans that she had insisted on wearing before they left the store. She couldn't recall when was the last time she'd bought brand new clothes. She felt confident and pretty. She had opted for the black-ripped one -the one Darleen said was showing off her butt nicely- and a cropped crimson sweater that allowed just a bit of skin to peek through the high waist jeans. Her smile widened as she felt the new garments hugging her body and the scent of new clothes filling her nostrils. She was finally feeling like a young woman. A young, attractive, nicely dressed woman. She glanced at her reflection at the closest shop window and fought the urge to spin around. Tossing her hair back and raising her chin a bit higher she walked confidently next to her brothers.

Oblivious to this, Dean walked along side of Amber, smiling smugly to himself, pocketing a piece of paper with Darleen's number written on it, while Sam was checking boxes on the list he'd made for their shopping trip. Just a few more stops.

"Ok, Amb. What's next? Shoes?" Sam asked her.

"No,that won't take us long. Leave it for the end," the girl answered decisively. Pausing and realizing what was next, she motioned with her head for her brothers to follow her. Impish smile gradually widening, she paid attention to the sound of their steps following steadily behind her before hearing them abruptly stop when they realized where she was leading them. Turning around and feigning surprise she asked, "What's up? Why'd we stop?"

Sam and Dean glanced at each other, before Dean strongly declared, "Oh hell no. No. Sam you're going with her for this. I'll wait outside."

Sam turned murderous eyes to his brother, "You can't  _not_ come in, Dean. We're here to make sure she's safe," he said through gritted teeth.

"Aw, what's up big brothers? Haven't you seen ladies underwear before?" The girl teased in a coy manner.

Dean watched women move around inside the little lingerie shop and his thoughts drifted to that hot blonde he'd last undressed and the tiny thong she'd worn, or the brunette who'd worn this get up that he could never quite figure out how to get off. Didn't matter in the end. And then there was that time when he was 15 and he'd gotten to third base for the first time with that pretty Polish girl with the gap between her front teeth. Gathering his thoughts back to the present he shook his head and turned to Sam, "That's a really small store. You're more than enough. I mean it, man. I just can't handle it, ok? The only time I've ever visited such a store was with… Well NOT my baby sister! And for reasons I refuse to associate with her!" With these words he parked himself on a nearby bench, looking solidly attached to the railing and seat as he squared his shoulders and crossed his arms, eyes forward at the store in question.

"Fine," Sam said in a tight tone, rolling his eyes. Turning to his sister he continued, "It seems I'll yet again be the only mature person in this situation. I'll go inside with you, Amber."

At Sam's words her eyebrows shot up, surprised. Her initial enjoyment over their discomfort evaporating. She asked incredulously, "You're kidding, right? Sam come on! You can't! That's, like, too embarrassing! Plus, like  _he_ said, it's a small store. You can watch me from the outside."

Raising an eyebrow at her, the younger Winchester brother quipped, "Aw, what's up little sister? Haven't you seen ladies' underwear before? Not so amused now, are we?"

"Saaam!"

At her whiny tone he simply shook his head, his gaze softening. "I won't hover over you. I'll just come in, keep a distance, and keep an eye out. That's all. I promise."

Realizing further arguing wouldn't change his mind, Amber sighed defeated. She made a show of dumping the shopping bags she was carrying next to Dean, and walked ahead of Sam towards the store. Having overheard this exchange, Dean couldn't help his feeling of ' _take that'_ that crept into his smile as he saw Amber getting uncomfortable by a chaperoning Sam.

Once inside the feminine space, Amber watched Sam, out of the corner of her eye, moving to the far corner of the shop, nearest to the cashier. Seeing that Sam did indeed keep his distance from her, she watched him leaning up against the wall, arms folded like a bored boyfriend. She sent him a grateful glance. Feeling this bit of privacy, she made quick work of choosing the pieces she liked. Opting for both cute thongs, and comfy cotton slips, she also grabbed five bras and ten pairs of socks. Once she was ready she motioned for Sam to come and pay.

As they made their way out of the store she told him, "Thanks. And don't worry. I'm gonna make sure Dean pays for making you do this alone."

Sam turned to look at her questioningly at these words. With a wide grin she told him, "He got to sit this one out. You'll get to sit out tampons and pads." Sam's face took on an unreadable expression. Then, unable to keep a short laugh from leaving his lips at her words, he turned to look at her. "You're too smart for your own good." After his initial amusement he added, "I know this must be awkward for you…"

"Nah… Not too much anyway. Well, shopping for underwear… Yeah. It kinda was. But with periods and tampons, I've always been very chill.Ty has a sister and never considered it a thing. But it's pretty entertaining how uncomfortable it usually makes you guys."  Amber smiled up at him and winked, eliciting another short laugh from Sam.

As they approached an amused-looking Dean they watched him rising to his feet and asking pleasantly, "Where to now?"

"The drugstore," Amber answered casually.

Dean's face immediately turned concerned at this. "Are you feeling sick?"

"No, but I'll get my period within the next two to three days, and I need tampons, pads, and Advil," Amber answered matter-of-factly, eyes locking with Dean's. "The rolled up paper towels I improvised for my last period were really awful." Both Sam and Dean blanched. Amber hadn't said a thing. Sam knew that, up until recently, Amber had been speaking the least amount she could get away with. There had been so much tension in the bunker, but he still felt awful with himself for not thinking about this on his own. He'd remembered this from Jessica. He should've remembered for Amber to ensure she had everything she needed.

Dean's concern turned to discomfort, but all he could do was nod. "Right. Yeah. I…" trailing off. He hadn't thought of…  _THAT_. Glancing around him, he pointed to the nearest drug store. Clearing his throat he added, "You two can go in there and I'll…I'll just wait out here".

"Oh, no. No, no, no! I want you with me, Dean" Amber insisted. "I feel awkward with Sam, especially now that he's seen all of my panties," Amber answered savagely, emphasizing  _panties_ , and looking at her brother squirm.  _This was just too easy._  She was savouring his growing discomfort. Dean Winchester, being out of his element, was a very rare sight. And a very enjoyable one.

The twinkle in Amber's eyes challenged Dean to just try to weasel out of this. Oh, he was going to remember her having so much fun at his expense. He stood and braced himself.

"Well, go on. We don't have all day," Sam quipped, making a show of getting comfortable on the bench that his brother had just vacated. Dean, resigning himself to this duty, could hear John Winchester's words in his head as he went into the drug store to buy tampons, 'Man up Dean'.

They soon walked among the aisles of the store. Amber made a couple of pauses to grab a few more necessities she hadn't thought about. Body and face moisturizer, razors, deodorants, a cute lipstick and mascara. Dean kept an eye on the mounting number of "chick" things that kept landing in the handbasket he was carrying. Using all of his self restraint to avoid running out of the store, he kept walking behind his sister as she led the way further down to the sanitary products aisle.

Dean's whole body stiffened. Like a horse led to the edge of a cliff, Dean stopped in mid step. Amber noticed this out of the corner of her eye, but pretended to ignore it. Excited at the opportunity to pick at Dean in a way he could in no way blame her for, a mischievous grin spread across her lips. She kept her face turned away from him as her lips curled. She couldn't help but to casually place her hand over this sneaky, silent snicker.

Dean's eyes didn't miss her hunching, slightly shaking shoulders, knowing that she was having a good chuckle. His teeth clenched at the realization he was the butt of her private joke. How was it she could get him so riled? This would be funny if it wasn't happening to him. Their history was getting thick. His discomfort remained high and his simmering anger rose right along with it. Taking in a deep breath in an attempt to to de-escalate his rising anger and reign in his temper, his eyes bulged at the realization that the scent of this aisle was also different. It took him a few seconds to recognize, in horror, what that scent was…  _Flowers._ Freaking flowers. Looking around him desperately, all he could see… All along this aisle… Was shelf upon shelf of soft-colored packages showing young women in white dresses dancing on the grass or looking confidently back at the shoppers, declaring they had winged protection they could trust.  _What the hell?_

Amber noticed Dean's discomfort with satisfaction. Man, this felt like such sweet revenge! Glancing to her right, on the farthest shelves on this aisle, the color and images on the boxes changed. Now, they featured handsome men or happy couples. One packaged declared, "Ribbed for Her Enjoyment." Casually, Amber wondered if Dean's head would explode if she placed a packet of condoms in the basket? ' _Naw',_ she thought to herself, keeping a sigh from leaving her lips at the mere thought of her brother's reaction. That was pulling out the big guns and she wanted to have something in reserve for later.

Once they reached the shelves with the tampons Amber hummed thoughtfully. "I'd better stock up, right?" Glancing at Dean over her shoulder, she tried for the innocent look. She lifted her tone and allowed her mouth to dip open slightly in the most innocent of expressions. Her eyebrows lifting in gentle arches around brown, lash-framed eyes. She looked directly at Dean, in a full - on gaze, putting on the most wholesome look imaginable.

Dean looked at her with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. He'd once seen a girl of around 10 years old, distract a store clerk by pretending to fall and hurt her knee. She'd done this at the front of the store while her younger sister cruised the aisles and stuffed a loaf of bread, a pack of pressed ham, some eggs and a carton of milk into her backpack.  _These two worked efficiently!_ The girl feigning the hurt knee had produced tears so real, and on demand, it was stunning. Her emotion-reddened face was convincingly genuine and she wailed in anguished waves as her sister, listening to this volume, knew how much time she had to get their grocery list filled. The feigned innocence card worked. Dean had been 14 at the time and, while aware of the grift, was stunned by the art of it all. Good acting was a true asset… _unless you were the mark._

Returning his attention to the present, he heard Amber continue voicing her thoughts, "In case we don't get the chance for more supplies anytime soon?" Of course, the reason for her question was simply to increase Dean's discomfort while amusing herself. She planned to stock up anyway, but Dean didn't know this. And he was very preoccupied with his uneasiness.

Dean made a mental note to talk to Sam about their sister's acting skills. Still… All this girly stuff… It just kept coming. "Yeah.. You, ah… Stocking up sounds… Smart. I mean… They don't expire, do they?" He asked, slightly confused about this whole topic.

Snorting, Amber shook her head. "No, Dean. They don't expire," she said as she reached for a small box in front of her and studied it. Reading the side label outloud, as if to make an informed decision, Amber further dug this pit of uneasiness deeper. "Hmmm, I didn't know they made ones you could insert with your finger?"

That was it! Dean extended a hand and grabbed as many boxes as he could before throwing them all in the basket. Amber watched him doing this mass sweep three more times before asking him, "What are you doing?"

"Uh… Helping you stocking up." His action was all business now and his voice was labored and tight as he spoke. He kept his face away from Amber as he didn't trust himself not to snap at her. She'd been toying with him… And she'd enjoyed it. Then she changed the atmosphere around them both.

Amber's face broke into a sincere grin this time, eyes crinkling at the corners and a twinkle in her gaze. "Dean, when I say stocking up I mean for like three, maybe four months. That's like three mini packs. Four if we count the extra I wanna keep in the emergency bag you guys mentioned. What you've got in there is for about five years." Amber's voice had lightened up and filled with a friendly tone Dean hadn't heard before. "I mean, I know we bleed, but we don't bleed that much!", she quipped, a humored smile lighting up her face.

Dean remained looking at her as if she had grown a second head. "Right," he said after a silent second. He was completely thrown off his center; Girly things and a friendly Amber? He hastily placed the majority of the boxes back in their proper place and left just four packs in the basket.

Snickering, Amber commented, "Much better. Ok, let's grab some pads and the Advil. We'd better get out of here before you have a stroke." The whiplash of emotions had Dean in a light sweat with heat coming off of his body in waves.

"Yes, please," he mumbled almost pleadingly as he followed her miserably.  _Would this never end?_

A few minutes later they emerged from the store and headed back to Sam. Spotting the smirk on his brother's face, Dean sent him a death glare before mumbling warningly, "Shut up, Sam!"

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Exiting the shoe store with another three bags hanging from Amber's hands, Sam turned to his sister. "Got everything then?"

Amber nodded smiling widely. "Thank you so much, guys," she said gratefully and her voice sounded kind... _genuinely grateful._ Caught off guard, Dean couldn't help but respond to this sweetness with one of his rare, warm smiles.

Sam smiled and wondered what had transpired in the drug store to make this change. "You're very welcome," he finally answered. "Ok, we got one final stop," he then declared.

When both his siblings looked at him questioningly he added, "There's a great firearms store near here and we need ammo."

"Hunting shopping?" Amber answered smiling. "Sounds fun!"

Having been through a full range of Amber-emotions, Dean commented, "Ok, let's just get it over with. We need to get going or we won't make it to Mason City on schedule." Outside of the drug store the oldest Winchester felt he could breathe again. The guns and ammo would start to bring a restoration to his senses… And his state of mind. Calm and ordered; practical and purposeful.

Walking out of the mall, in the direction of the parking lot, Amber noticed some handsome young men that were leisurely strolling in the same direction just a few feet away from them. Her eyes lingered on the tallest of the small company of three. The typical golden-hair stud type that usually steered her interest. The three young men seemed to have noticed her too. Amber caught this immediately, followed by both Sam and Dean.

The young men couldn't keep from staring at her, one nudging the other and discreetly nodding to her direction. She was, after all, a beauty. Amber felt her confidence climbing even higher and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear before toying with its tip. She couldn't remember the last time she had the chance to flirt or be flirted with. Her mind momentarily fluttered to Josh, but she shoved that thought right out of her mind. Screw him and his disappearing acts.

Dean and Sam exchanged looks in their silent language. At this, Sam put his arm around Amber's shoulder and pulled her close to him in a protective manner. He wasn't sure if this sent the message that he was her boyfriend or someone else who had a claim on her, but he knew this would be a deterrent to any escalating interaction between the young people.

Amber was mildly startled by Sam's action, and instantly knew exactly what he was doing. In a sarcastic voice, she said, "Sam, I'm  _NOT_  going to run off with them." Her tone was one of annoyance.

Again, that knowing look between Dean and Sam. Amber saw this and felt exasperation rising in her.  _Augh!_ They were doing it again! "What? You really think I'm just going to drop everything and go run off with one of these guys?"

Sam chuckled gently. "Well, Amber, I'm not trying to bring this up again, but you did run off once before and made it all the way to Denver."

Amber shook her head but had to admit he had a point. ' _Damn it!', she thought to herself, but remained silent._ Walking on, she saw the young men curtail their glances as they lost the game of male dominance. She'd seen this before with Josh. At the time she felt good about it. But, applied in this manner, she felt cut off and cut out of the natural conversation of flirting...with all of the inherent thrill and confidence it brought. Amber sighed deeply as she kept walking, tucked under Sam's arm until they reached the Impala.

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The drive to the gun shop was short and mostly silent. Amber's annoyance had yet to fade at the ruined chance of speaking to a person with whom she didn't share the same blood or supernatural origin. Still, her mostly positive mood, from shopping for new clothes, frilly underwear, shoes, bags, belts...all these riches, prevailed.

As they entered the gun store Amber felt her heart skip a beat. Despite having seen her brothers' impressive weapon collection, being in a store so prominently filled with many different models of firearms, from handguns to rifles, crossbows to knives, made her a tad uncomfortable. Sticking close to Sam she followed him to the counter, while Dean detoured to take a look at a collection of knives.

Amber glanced around herself, tuning out Sam's voice and his dialogue with the sales assistant. She wondered how many of the people around them were also hunters. The realization the hunters' world had always been under her nose, even after learning of its existence, never ceased to amaze her. Taking a few steps away from Sam, maneuvering carefully to avoid knocking anything off the shelf, her eyes lit on the sole woman in the store testing the feel of an semi-automatic handgun. She contemplated telling her she should adjust her stance to improve balance and aim, but decided against it.

"Amber?"

The calling of her name snapped her out of her thoughts and she turned her head around expecting to see one of her brothers. At the round wrinkled face that met her though, she gasped, surprised.

The man broke into a wide grin and then chuckled loudly. "Amby!" He said happily repeating her name. He took the two steps between them before hugging her tightly.

Sam caught the interaction from the corner of his eye. Within four seconds he arrived at his sister's side just as the strange man released her from his embrace. Dean, having passed around a corner saw Sam's movement. Instinctively interpreting it as a defence move, he felt his adrenaline pushing him forward in the direction of Sam, Amber, and the strange man. His heart felt like it was in his throat and ribs were tightening up as he ran. No thoughts, just a target and a mission.

"Hey, Mr. J!" Amber answered, a bit awkwardly, as she was gathered into a bear hug. She remained a bit rigid in the embrace. Still shocked at the unexpected meeting, her eyes darted around her, scanning the space with concern. From across the store Sam was on top of them before she had even finished her phrase. Dean, already in motion, wasn't seen by any of them.

The man's keen eye catching her seeking gaze, he smiled and winked at her. "Josh ain't around, doll. He's working a job over in Utah, " he said in his signature loud voice, thinking the girl was looking for his son as her eyes scanned the shop.

Before Amber had the chance to answer, Sam stepped up and stood right next to her. Hand clasping around her shoulder, he turned to take a good look at the man. His initial hardened expression turning to surprised as he looked into the face of the man standing there. Dean caught up to the huddle of bodies just as Sam's disbelieving tone uttered, "Greg Jarvis?"

This stopped Dean in his tracks. Keeping silent, he halted and then backtracked a couple of steps to avoid the man spotting him while remaining within earshot of the conversation.

"Sam Winchester?" The man asked, equally surprised. Glancing at the clasped hand on Amber's shoulder he looked at the girl questioningly, "You know this guy?" His brows furrowed and his shoulders squared. Amber noticed the man's voice deepening with this question. There was an implied threat in it.

Reading the signs of suspicion, mixed with confusion, on Greg Jarvis' face, Amber hastened to answer. "Yes, Mr. J.," she quickly placated, attempting to smooth out the ruffled emotions she could feel all around her. "Remember me asking about the Winchesters?" She asked pleasantly. At his nod, she added, "I decided to track them down and learn the ropes with them." She watched the man's mouth drop open, before he had time to close it and sort his thoughts. He shifted his body weight, folding his arms over his chest, as if studying a difficult math problem. His hand unconsciously rubbing the stubble on his chin.

Still looking at her disbelievingly, the man inquired, "You want to start hunting?! Doll, no! Did you learn nothing from us?" Listening to this exchange was far from illuminating for the brothers; it was distorting, bordering on disturbing.

Offering him her sweetest smile she answered, "I learned how much good you're doing for the world, Mr. J..".

Being a mature adult, he wasn't easily manipulated by flattery, but coming from this young woman he knew well, he felt his face blushing at her words. His demeanour shifted a bit and he chuckled audibly. His shoulders softened to a more relaxed stance. Eyeing her, the older hunter dragged her back into a tight hug. Sam allowed this, but remained vigilant of the interaction.

When she was close enough to the old man's body, Jarvis whispered in her ear, "If you need help, blink twice."

Breaking the embrace, Amber chuckled openly. She answered him evenly, "I don't have to blink, Mr. J.. Sam and Dean are simply letting me tag along and train beside them. You know me. I always wanna learn from the best."

"Come on, Jarvis. We've hunted together in the past. You can't deny she'll learn a lot from us," Sam added, schooling his expression.

Snorting, the man said. "Exactly my point." Eyeing Sam's tall frame intently the man added, "Where's that brother of yours?"

"Paying for our stuff," Sam answered laconically.

Dean, understanding the phrase as Sam's way to tell him he had the situation under control and they should soon wrap things up, turned to move to the cashiers up front.

"Are you on a case around here?" Sam asked the older man.

Jarvis shook his head. "No. I came to stock up on a few things and I'm heading to Utah to meet my boy. He's on some…" pausing to glance around him he continued in a lower tone, "He's on some wolves over there. What about you? Where are you taking this little gem?" He asked, indicating Amber.

"We're not sure yet," Sam answered casually, not wanting to give any information on their future whereabouts.

Amber looked at the man in what she hoped passed as a relaxed and pleasant expression. The last thing they needed was a couple of hunters on their heels sniffing around. "When's Josh coming back? And where will he be when he gets back?" She asked pleasantly.

"A couple of weeks tops. We're staying at my brother's in Wichita for now. How about you come visit us when we're back?"

"Visit who and where?"

At the booming question, the three pairs of eyes turned to see Dean, carrying a heavy looking bag standing right behind Greg, practically breathing down his neck. Feigning surprise Dean then asked, "Jarvis?"

"Been over that, son," Jarvis answered in a bored tone. Turning back to Amber he continued, "I'll leave it to you to fill in the slow-burner, doll. And like I said, come visit! I'll have Josh call you once we're back, yeah?"

"Right Mr. J.. Kiss Josh for me and tell him he'd better call. I haven't heard from him in ages," Amber smiled at the man.

"I ain't kissing my son like that, doll," the man said teasingly as he broke out in a hearty laugh. "It was nice seeing you. Watch out with these two. You can always join me and junior whenever you want to," he added glancing at Sam and Dean with a mixture of distrust and contempt.

"I'll keep that in mind. We need to get going now. See you Mr. J.," Amber said kindly and made her way out of the store, her brothers following close behind.

It was on the heels of this unexpected encounter with Amber and the Winchesters that the hunter was struck by this unmistakeable fact; Dean and Amber had practically the same face.

The three winchesters crossed the busy mall and got to the parking lot in a few short minutes.

"You think he's onto us?" Amber asked worriedly as soon as they got inside the Impala.

"How could he?" Dean asked.

"Well… The rumor is out there. And Amber looks quite a lot like us. Especially you," Sam reasoned.

Dean shook his head. "Her age doesn't match the rumours. It's far-fetched for anyone to even consider the possibility." Turning the key in the ignition Dean gazed in the rearview mirror. "On a more important note, who the hell is Josh and just how were you kissing him?"

"Oh, boy," Sam sighed and shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "Dean, don't start."

Dropping her shoulders with a dramatic sigh, Amber braced herself for another argument. "This is not the time to discuss boys with you, Dean!" she snapped.

The whole meeting had stressed her out way too much. The feelings of safety, and the enjoyment the shopping trip had offered, were now replaced by fear. That familiar anxiety of fight or flight gripped her brain, flooding her body with adrenaline. Instantly, Amber was back to being her guarded self, filled with Insecurity. Before this interrogation by Dean, her meeting with Greg Jarvis had sparked memories and made her feel sentimental towards Josh and their time together. However, it was still a touchy subject for her. Dean, asking probing questions about him, simply wouldn't fly with her. Not today. She felt the telltale signs of her power steering dangerously inside of her. Despite the fact it wasn't even close to having a power surge, she still breathed deeply, forcing it back down just as Cas had taught her. Keeping her nephilim power under control was imperative, especially when in public.

"Did I phrase that as a question?" Dean asked sternly. "Silly me. Let's try this again. Tell me who is Josh and what the hell was going on between you two!" He said sharply. His own response to what he had initially perceived as a threat for her safety had also left him in a state of frustration and tension. He had no patience for her backtalk and disrespect. The many questions this unforeseen encounter brought up, and the numerous implications, were all weaknesses that could be exploited. He needed to find out what was the story behind the Jarvis men and he needed to find out now. His temper was short and his tone far from what usually got his sister talking. But after the roller-coaster of a day they'd had, her snarky comments and subtle torturing, he simply had reached his limit.

"I have neither the time nor the crayons to explain my relationship with Josh to you, Dean," Amber said through gritted teeth.

"Watch it!" Dean barked.

"You, watch it!" Amber shot right back. "You don't get to yell at me for not sharing something so fucking personal!  _God, you're insufferable!"_

As Dean prepared to turn off the ignition once again, Sam's palm clasped over his. "Dean, no! We need to move before Jarvis comes out into the parking lot," he told his brother, looking firmly into at his angry face. They needed to move fast.

Dean, clenched his jaw as he brought his hand down to the gear handle and shoved it in reverse. The car roared as he backed out of the parking spot and drove faster than he should towards the exit.

As they sped through the parking lot, they narrowly missed hitting three middle-aged women walking to their own parked car. Amber, unable to keep her mouth shut, said sarcastically, "Damn, you missed them!"

"Amber, I swear to God..." Dean hissed.

"Guys, now really isn't the time," Sam attempted to intervene. "We had a nice day, why sour it?"

"Because he's an insufferable dick, that's why!" Amber yelled, feeling her face flush with her anger.

Sam turned to look at her warningly, his unmasked anger scolding her. This was the same face Amber saw the night he'd swatted her. With his square jaw, lips in a tight line, penetrating eyes, and furrowed eyebrows, Sam's look warned her that he could do more than glare at her. This seemed to do the trick. The girl slumped back into her seat with an indignant huff.

Momentarily, Amber thought of kicking the back of the front seat, but considered the outcome of this from last time and let this idea drop.

Then it happened. Amber felt that beginning sensation of her rising anger about to explode into a surge of power. Not a small stir. Not a slight sense of losing her temper. This was the real thing. ' _God, not now!',_ she thought. It had been awhile since this had happened. Cas had worked with her, and she'd gained significant control. But her anger was a volatile switch that was always a risk. She'd actually become alarmingly strong when Catiel had pissed her fight or flight-driven emotion had delivered a startling rise in her mastering of this gift. But for her, anger was a double-edged sword and it cut both ways.

Taking another deep breath, Amber focused a calm feeling into her heart. She hastened to roll down the backseat window, resting her elbow on it. She opened her palm and felt the cold air against it, as she started breathing deeply again, filling her abdomen and exhaling in a slow manner. With the sensation of the cold, dry wind slapping against her skin and repeating her breathing exercise ten consecutive times, she could now feel the "hot button" of her anxiety dissipating to the coolness of tranquility. The power reduced and she felt herself coming back to the present. She was in the Impala with Sam and Dean. A Dean who was playing the overprotective part again and a Sam struggling to keep some minimal trace of balance and peace among the three of them. Refusing to let her brothers' attitude guilt-trip her, Amber turned to look out of the window. Josh had been way before she'd even met was her business alone. Stealing a glance up into the rear-view mirror, she briefly locked eyes with Dean. Those eyes were the angry eyes she remembered from Denver. 'Oh, no!', she thought as she shifted uneasily in her seat, before looking away. She was surprised to find herself wishing she was back at the bunker, strumming her guitar alone in her room.  _Augh! Wouldn't Dean just give it a rest!_

Sam turned to look at Dean and he could tell he was at the very edge of exploding. He knew perfectly well that Amber's refusal to share past dating details was just the tip of the iceberg. But knowing Dean, he stood little chance of persuading him to drop this, at least for a while. Glancing at his watch he realized they had a good three-hour drive ahead of them. Deciding silence was better than the open warfare of the last thirty minutes, he avoided starting any kind of conversation with his brooding siblings. Instead he pressed the button on the Impala's radio console and allowed AC/DC to blare away the awkward silence. As his gaze drifted out of his own window, Sam caught out of the corner of his eye both Dean's and Amber's head discreetly bobbing to the music.

 

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	9. When You Turn off the Lights Everything Comes into View - Part 1

**A/N:** Hello dear readers! First, let us thank all of you who reviewed the last chapter and all our new readers that followed and left kudos for the story. Here comes another chapter -well, two of them to be accurate- co-written by me and the wonderful Lau-Whisperer. These two chapters were supposed to be one, but we got carried away with writing this -Yes, that's how much we enjoy writing it!- and it ended up too lengthy. For your convenience we broke it up into a short-ish and a more lengthy chapter for your convenience, but it basically reads as one.

 _ **WE SEEK REVIEWS LIKE A DRUG!**_  Please guys, make both of us happy with some feedback. We'd both love to hear from you. Reviews inspires us, they make us feel good, and they can lead to wonderful paths and ideas!  _And...they produce more stories for you to read._

We've collectively spent over 30 hours on these two chapters alone. Can you please give us just a few minutes to let us know how you liked our work? Be it a review or PM...do let us know how you like the story, what you hate or even love about it.

 **FYI:**  We're also open to ideas / requests as long as they can be incorporated in the story and won't throw the plot off. So, if you have this or that idea or scene you'd like to see don't hesitate to mention it in a review or a PM. We'll be happy to write it in the story as long as we can make it work :)  **  
Enjoy!**

**When You Turn off the Lights Everything Comes into View - Part 1**

 

 **Title credit:**  Lyrics from the song "Touch too much", by AC/DC (Highway to Hell, 1979)

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꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂

 

The hinges of the wooden door squeaked loudly as it was pushed open. The doorknob was slightly loose and it demanded a bit of jingling to actually get it to cooperate. Amber walked past Sam, who was holding the door open for her and entered the space tentatively. Fumbling her hand across the inside wall, at shoulder height she found the light switch and flipped it on. Somehow the additional light made the room look uglier and sadder than when the shadows softened it in the dark. It was spacious for a hotel room. Complete with a kitchenette, a small dining table for four, two twin beds, and an ugly three-seater couch placed in front of a small TV. The carpet looked old and it had clumps of unidentified "stuff" matting in its rust-colored 1970's chic.

The girl walked further inside noticing the worn yellowish tapestry and those squares of gold-marbled mirror on one wall. Stopping in front of the bathroom door she pushed it open and peeked inside, scanning for any sign of life. Relieved when no roaches or any other type of insect appeared to be present, she turned around and walked back towards the couch shoving off her bag and letting it fall on the floor beside the sofa's arm.

Sam watched her moves as he threw his own duffel to the closest desk and gently placed his laptop case on the bedside table next to it. His eyes turned to Dean who had already kicked off his shoes and was laying on the other bed with a hand draped over his eyes. The drive to the motel had set a new record in dysfunctional lack of communication...even for Winchester standards. Deciding now was as good as ever, especially considering what tomorrow entailed, Sam turned to his sister.

"How about we head out to get some dinner," he proposed in an unreadable tone.

Amber eyed him with apprehension. With the look he'd given her in the car still fresh in her mind part of her was worried he might scold or even smack her for the way she spoke to Dean. Considering her options she realized she didn't have many. For one, she was pretty sure that Sam had simply phrased an order in the form of a question in order to not embarrass her. But even if that wasn't the case her only other choice was to remain locked in a room with Dean. Remembering his own glare in the rearview mirror a few hours back was enough to make the girl nod and follow Sam out of the room. Before she closed the door behind them she stole a glance at Dean, still laying in the same position, in no way acknowledging he had heard them. Ignoring the small pang of guilt she shut the door and hurried behind Sam.

"Can I drive?" She dared to ask in a masked attempt to assess her brother's mood.

Sam turned to look at her incredulously. "Dean's car?" He scoffed. "Only if he gives you permission to do so. Which I doubt. He didn't let me drive it til I was twenty two. You can go ask him if you'd like, though. I'll wait," Sam proposed in an even tone, as he slid the car key in the driver's door key slot and unlocked the car. His eyes bored deep into his sister's eyes meaningfully. He didn't have to spell out how unimpressed he was with her behavior. For now. His composed and seemingly neutral words did a fine job all on their own.

Rolling her eyes Amber shook her head. "Shotgun it is," she grumbled as she opened the front door and slumbed in it. She didn't like where this was going, despite the fact she had seen it coming for some time. Sam was patient and sweet. He was all about giving time and space and allowing people around him to find their balances and solve their differences. But he was also very synched with their brother. Amber knew that she had driven Dean to the very edge of his patience. She had taunted him, froze him out, ignored him, subtly insulted him and pretty much tap-danced all over him and his emotions for too long now. If she was being honest with herself, she'd expected Sam's intervention to have come much sooner.

Sam eased the car out of it's parking spot and onto the small road in front of the motel. He kept his eyes on the road but glanced over to his sister every now and then. He could see she was tense. Sitting rigidly in her seat, one hand gripping the seatbelt tightly, as the other tapped rhythmically against her thigh. He attempted to gather his thoughts and find a way to approach this without leading to another fight and the girl closing up like an oyster.

"Excited for tomorrow?" He finally asked evenly.

Amber kept her eyes on the road ahead. Humming lightly she finally nodded. "Yeah, I guess."

"Are you having second thoughts? Because if you don't feel ready or comfortable…" Sam trailed off glancing at her sideways. He clearly knew that wasn't the reason behind her hesitation, but he aimed for the girl to willingly share what troubled her. She had to learn to trust them too. Not just the other way around.

"No! Nothing like that," Amber immediately denied, eyes still trained on the road. Despite the "talk" she knew she and Sam were going to have, she always found night drives very relaxing. This would help. This was always her favorite time of night. It wasn't completely dark outside, but just enough to bring out the gloomy colors she loved in the night sky, on the road, and all over the urban scenery they were slowly approaching. Amber felt herself relaxing into the images rushing past them, the phosphorescent ribbons of white lines on the road gliding beneath the car in a mesmerizing flow.

Sam's driving was so different than Dean's. It was smoother and calmer, with fewer jolts, abrupt acceleration, and severe turns. Sam kept the speed steady, slowed down smoothly, and was skillfully gentle when shifting gears. A soft smile played on her lips at the comparison and realization of how much their driving reflected their characters.

"Sam?"

"Yeah?"

"You're mad at me, aren't you?" she said evenly.

Sam glanced at her once more and noticed she seemed a bit more relaxed than a minute ago. Her hands were now laying on her lap and her back resting on the back of her seat more comfortably. Her words, neither a declaration nor a question, told him she was uncomfortable with not knowing where she stood with him currently. Taking a second to decide how he wanted to answer her, Sam finally spoke softly, "Would it bother you if I was?"

Turning to look at him for the first time since they entered the car Amber looked at him surprised. "Of course it would."  _How could Sam not realize that?_  "I don't like upsetting you," she added immediately.

Tilting his head to the side for a second Sam quipped, "You don't seem to have the same problem with Dean." His tone was measured. Not scolding, but neither pleasant. His turn to keep his gaze on the road ahead as he patiently waited for her response.

Amber let out a silent sigh. Expecting this conversation and actually having it were two very different things. Her thoughts trailed from the earlier quarrel in the car to the shopping trip and the weeks that preceded it. The usual conflicting emotions and mental pathways lit up in her brain and she couldn't bring herself to give a meaningful answer to Sam's observation no matter how much she tried.  _God, what was wrong with her._

As Sam noticed a burger-place a few yards down the road, on his right, he slowed down and quickly maneuvered the car to park it up front. Turning off the ignition key, the roar of the Impala died down and he turned to face Amber a bit better. "Do you feel wronged?"

Amber turned to look at him with eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Wronged?"

Her brother nodded, causing his hair to bounce lightly on his shoulders. "All this… Aggression emerged after Denver. After your punishment. And the only thing I can think of that could have caused all this hostility towards Dean is the fact that he was the one to spank you. So, I'm asking you, do you think you were wronged with that punishment? That you didn't deserve it?"

Amber's face flushed a vivid red at his words. The embarrassing memories rushed through her brain and she suddenly felt very awkward discussing any of it with Sam. And his question… His question didn't come with an easy answer. Or rather, not with an answer she was eager to share. Gathering up her courage she slowly shook her head. "No," she all but whispered.

Sam studied her intently. Certain that she was truthful he nodded after a second and offered her a small smile, "I'm really glad to hear this. If your answer was different, I would seriously reconsider you joining us tomorrow." Sam watched her blush slowly fade. He knew how hard it was for someone her age to admit being in the wrong. He knew it took courage and a certain level of maturity. "Come on," he said after another second and opened his door. "Let's go order and we'll keep talking as we wait."

" Kay," Amber nodded and followed him out of the car. After finishing their order, they walked back outside. It was almost completely dark by now, and the atmosphere was cold, but they both enjoyed the fresh air, the dark of the night with its resulting privacy. Moving to the Impala, Sam slid sideways onto its hood and gestured for her to follow him.

"I doubt Dean would approve of this," she said, raising an eyebrow as she carefully slid up onto the hood and got comfortable against the windshield.

"He actually likes hanging out on the car like this a lot," Sam answered pleasantly. Ever since we were teens, and dad left the Impala with him to drive around as needed, we'd climb on like this and stare at the night sky, the passers by… sometimes we'd talk for hours, other times we'd simply enjoy the silence."

At his reminiscing tone Amber couldn't help but smile. "I guess we won't be enjoying silence today," she commented knowingly.

"I knew you were smart," Sam quipped. Before turning serious eyes at her. "I'm not gonna sugar-coat this, Amb. You've been awful to Dean. You called him insufferable earlier today, but in all honesty, the way you've been treating him during these past few weeks...this is an adjective that best describes how you've been towards him, not the other way around." His eyes scanned the teen for her reaction to his words. He knew he was being harsh, but she was in desperate need of a wakeup call and some serious attitude adjustment.

Amber bit her lip awkwardly and brought her knees close to her torso to hug them. Resting her head on her knees she mulled over Sam's words. She knew they were true. Her behaviour was measured and deliberate. Planned even, in many cases.

"What truly baffles me, though, is why you haven't been treating me the same," Sam continued at her silence. "I discussed everything with Dean, we decided together what your punishment would entail, spanking included. I smacked you myself when you were out of line during our discussion, I've made you study your butt off and write page upon page of sigils... So help me understand, Amber. Why all this anger towards Dean... _and Dean alone?_ "

Amber brought a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose as she attempted to answer the question. Not only to Sam but also to herself. "I… I'm not sure I know. I mean… I'm definitely angry at him for… uh...your know...punishing me," she attempted, her voice dwindling to a whisper, clearly struggling with the last words. Her eyes cast downwards as she made this statement. It was like reliving it all over and she felt that wave of tingling move across her bottom.  _God, this was so embarrassing!_ Refocusing and returning her thoughts to Sam's questions, she continued, looking up into Sam's open face. "And he's harsh and always ordering me around…I guess… I guess he doesn't try. He doesn't care to try. You do," she concluded, her words trailing to a soft, sad whisper as she finished. Amber rested her chin on her knees, arms hugging her folded legs tightly, eyes staring straight ahead into the darkness. She seemed to close in on herself.

Sam read the hurt in her voice and saw her physical self-protection kick in: the disappointment, even distrust, towards their older brother. He couldn't blame her. Not entirely. Dean often forgot to exit drill-sergeant mode and more often than not forgot to express any positive emotions. He wasn't a man of coping. He was a man of burying emotions and acting on instinct. A man externalizing mainly negative emotions and keeping positive ones to himself. Sam knew all this. He'd grown up with him...but Amber hadn't. To her, he must seem a strict, distant, hard-to-please figure, ready to punish, reprimand, and point out weaknesses.  _Of course, Dean had made an effort._ Sam had to give him that. But it was evident to him now that this effort was not enough for their sister.

"Truth is, Amber, that he's been trying way harder than I have," Sam finally spoke in a soft tone. He'd used her full name, invoking her seriousness attention. Stunned, Amber lifted her head, turning her eyes to him with a dumbfounded look that said,  _Are you kidding me?!_

At her disbelieving expression, he simply shook his head. "I mean it. I'm more expressive than Dean and more receptive to people around me. I can easily gauge how you feel and act accordingly to make you feel better, or to have a conversation that doesn't end up in a raging death match. But these things come naturally to me. Dean… Dean's an oyster. Much like yourself, really. He doesn't express himself, he doesn't let people in. Aside from flirting, he has the social skills of a rabid dog. But with you… With you he really tried."

"How? How did he try and I missed it?" She asked challengingly, her chin jutting upwards in unconscious confrontation.

"By not chewing you out for your horrible attitude for one. If, at your age, I was as challenging and insulting as you've been to him I'd have gotten the whooping of a lifetime," her brother answered immediately. "And very rightly so," he tucked on a bit more sternly. This was the second time Sam had mentioned himself in regards to being disciplined by Dean. It seemed so odd to her. And he was defending this embarrassing aspect of his own upbringing, which meant he really thought she'd been so out-of-line that she deserved this...and had agreed with Dean on it. She was trying to wrap her head around ALL of this. How had Dean tried and she simply didn't see... _or was it more that she refused to see?_

At her lack of response Sam continued. "I know I heard him a bunch of times attempting to start conversations with you. Casual, friendly conversations...and you either ignored him or shut him down... _every single time!"_  The last part of Sam's sentence dipped into his deeper tone as Sam's memory of Amber's nasty behavior triggered his anger.

Amber's eyes lowered a bit at this. There was no point in denying the truth of her brother's words. The small pang of guilt she had felt when she saw Dean laying on a bed, exhausted, grew in size and settled into her stomach, her heart feeling gripped by the truth of this.

"I know he also praised your efforts instead of simply sticking to what needed improvement. Am I wrong?" Sam added. The stern edge was still in his voice, and his serious gaze made the girl squirm in her spot with uneasiness. She was seeing her actions for the first time outside of her own mind theater...and it was bad. God, she'd been acting so petty and vindictive. No, she had her reasons for doing all of this. Right?

When she shook her head, he laid his last card on the table. "It was his idea to take you shopping. And it was his prompting and arguing in your favor that made me agree to let you join us when a case came up."

Amber's head snapped up shocked at that. "No… No way! You're shitting me!" She said disbelievingly.

"Language!" Sam snapped and eyed her warningly.

"Sorry…" the girl trailed off, her head visibly shrinking down into her shoulders.

"I'm telling you the truth. In all honesty, the way you were treating him all this time led me to have second thoughts on whether you were ready for this hunt. Or rather seconds thoughts a bunch of times. But Dean insisted. And despite how you've acted, it was his idea to treat you with the shopping trip. He thought it would cheer you up."  _And there it was…Amber's pettiness and immaturity was on full display._

His gaze locking with Amber's, Sam watched as her inner conflict and disbelief gave way to acceptance and then guilt. Amber's body language was loud, readable, and accurate as she worked through her thoughts. "Crap," Amber could only whisper. "He… He never told me… If he had told me…"

"If he had told you, you'd have acted the exact same way because you were hellbent on getting back at him for your spanking. You two are annoyingly similar. Just like Dean would have found someone to project all of his pent up feelings onto, you put the same blame on him. Could be karma in a way, but with all of this _...it's simply unacceptable behavior."_

His last words were sharp and scolding. They made Amber lower her gaze and flush pink in guilt and embarrassment. Sam didn't allow time for her to answer as he continued, "I know things aren't gonna change overnight. I know you two will bump heads much more than you and I, or he and I, ever did. This happens when two people are so much alike. It happened between me and dad, too. Trust me, I know how hard it is on you. That being said, I expect an effort from you. An honest effort. Give him the chance to get to know you and give yourself the chance to get to know him."

Amber nodded silently. She found she didn't completely trust what she had heard about her brother. Then again,compared to Sam, she hardly knew Dean. "Fine, I will," she answered in a quiet tone, eyes still averted. Amber was reeling inside. Her inner sense of righteousness anger was imploding Much like a sprinter laying into the final push of a race only to encountering empty space Amber was flailing in freefall. She was encountering her own limitations.

Drawing closer and sitting up tall next to his sister, Sam's hand moved to the girl's face, gently cupping her chin and tilting her head upwards until she was looking at him straight in the eyes. When he spoke again, his tone was warning and sharper than she had ever heard it before. "I mean it, Amb. An honest effort. I won't let any more disrespect and childish, hurtful actions slide. Next time I catch you deliberately hurting him you'll answer to me. Am I clear?"

Gulping uneasily, Amber nodded. This side of Sam unnerved her to a ridiculous extent. Again, that embarrassed tingling of her butt from the memory of him chastising her backside.  _God, memory was physical._ "Crystal," she quipped, very happy he couldn't read her mind. "I'll stop being a bitch to him. I promise," she added.

"Language," Sam reprimanded her half-jokingly, using his index finger to tap on her lips.

Reading his tone and half smile as a signal that the serious part of their conversation had ended, Amber flashed him an impish smile and slid down off the hood.

"Where are you going?" Sam asked as she moved towards the diner.

"To add a pie in our order. Or ten," she called over her shoulder.

Smiling fondly at her thoughtful gesture he stood to his feet as well and followed her inside. "Apple is his favorite," He casually mentioned.

"He'll get what they have," Amber replied dryly, not turning to look back as she spoke. The thought that they could check out another diner or two, to see if they had an apple pie, was an idea that she kept herself.

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꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ W ꧂꧁ T ꧂꧁ A ꧂

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Dean had just walked out of the bathroom, freshly showered and dressed in a pair of old light grey sweatpants and a plain black t-shirt. His headache had subsided after spending the better part of a half hour beneath the hot water. He felt his temper was back under control and was grateful Sam had taken Amber out, allowing him some valuable cooling-off time. He was standing near the table, drying his dripping hair with the towel when the door opened and his siblings stepped in. His eyebrows furrowed in surprise at the fact that both Sam and Amber were holding two large bags each. "We expecting company?" He asked in an amused tone.

Sam offered a small smile as he deposited his own two bags on the table. "I'll run to the vending machine to get a soda for Amber. We didn't think to buy one at the store. Be right back," he said casually and left the room, flashing an encouraging smile to Amber as he walked out the door. Dean saw this exchange and wondered what the hell happened?

Watching Sam go, Dean raised eyebrows before turning a measuring glance to his sister. She looked contrite. This was an unfamiliar look for her _._  The girl curled her lips inward, forming them into a line. She drew in a deep breath as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Her body language was practically screaming her conflicting emotions. Dean found he couldn't look away from her as this undefined element in Amber's mind warred with her ego. She glanced up at Dean and opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again. Clearing her throat, she left the bags she had been holding on the table and reached inside the one Sam had set down. She took out one, then two plastic containers, and placed them prominently in front of Dean.

Dean watched her with a mixture of intrigue and apprehension. He didn't want to risk reading her demeanour wrong and end up riled or disappointed again. So he simply looked on as she nervously emptied everything from one of the bags. Glancing at the containers, his lips twitched upwards. "Pie," he said softly.

"Lots of it," Amber quipped. Her voice had a chipper tone to it, even as her eyes remained downcast, as if in submission of...well...of something. "The first diner only had chocolate, lime, and cherry. We bought all three of them just to be sure you'd like at least one. But Sam said your favorite is apple, so we thought, what the hell, let's try another diner, right? And there was one a few blocks away and it had apple! So we bought three slices, 'cause it's your favorite and all…"

Dean's smile steadily widened at her awkward rambling. The way his sister was acting right now reminded him of a six-year-old Sammy, feeling guilty over breaking his favorite CD and buying him a bunch of lollipops with his one-dollar allowance, nervously rambling on and on about how he had failed to find his favorite flavor. "Amber…" He tried to cut her off, but she shook her head at him.

"No, You need to let me finish!", her voice was rushed as if trying to get everything out. Then, she continued, more reflective but equally urgent. "So, yeah, it's your favorite and all. And I wanted to make sure you get your favorite pie tonight, 'cause an apology is lame and not enough and won't fix anything. But pie can fix anything and I know that from personal experience," she said in one breath. Looking at her brother with a desperate look she took in a deep breath and added, "I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm sorry."

Smile widening to the point his eyes looked like twin green half-moons, crinkles at the corners, Dean moved around the table and brought her into a hug. Amber felt this and was surprised, but allowed it. After a half second Dean felt her returning his hug in ernest. This felt good and it was a good first step.

Yet, he didn't fool himself. He was sure that sooner or later the magic would end, and this sweet girl would turn back to the snarky pumpkin she was before Sammy's intervention. But he was also sure the apology he was currently receiving was sincere and not forced. And that alone made his heart melt. "It's ok, Amb," he said softly.

As she shook her head and they broke the embrace she sighed. "It's far from Ok. I was a bitch. And you planned the shopping trip and talked Sam into taking me with you… Why didn't you tell me any of these?"

Letting out a scoff Dean countered, " _During our countless conversations?_  Amb you rarely spoke more than five words to me a day. And the days you spoke, more often than not I usually found myself wishing you'd start the silent treatment again." His voice was gruff and low, but his tone held an easiness she hadn't heard, or rather, hadn't recognized before.

In that instant Amber felt herself tuning to the prime of Dean's voice, his cadenced speech, facial expression, posture, and what this all meant about him. It felt like she was hearing him for the first time... _and she was_.

Amber shoved her hands in her jeans' back pockets at this revealed meaning and eyed him apologetically. "I know. And I'm sorry, and I brought pie, and I promise to be much less bitchy, and even a bit pleasant, from now on." She chose her words with caution. Despite the fact that she felt she really wanted to establish a more positive relationship with Dean, there was still a voice in her head that stubbornly whispered to not trust him that easily. She didn't want to make him think they'd be best buddies come morning. Just to ensure some sort of balance was found and a new common ground to slowly build on. Her phrase, "...much less bitchy" wasn't lost on Dean, but he could accept this.

Chuckling, Dean shook his head at her words, "I'm very glad to hear that," As he moved to reach inside one of the other bags, taking out the various containers, he raised his eyes to look at her. All trace of humour had vanished from his eyes and his voice deepened into a warning. "Because you were one snarky comment away from me putting you over my knee." Dean kept his eyes locked on her face and let his words hang in the air. He kept busy, emptying the bag, as he remained locked on his sister's face.

Cheeks flushing at the threat, Amber looked away from Dean's face. She was feeling all of a reprimanded six-year-old. "It… um, you… You won't have to," she said awkwardly, unable to look Dean in the eye. Her thoughts trailed to Sam's warning. Surprised where her own thoughts had taken her, she wondered if Sam would follow through even if she'd already been spanked by Dean.  _What the hell! Was she already planning on getting another?_ These thoughts made her stomach flutter and drop to her feet. Her face flushed with embarrassment and confusion. Amber was grateful for the privacy of her own mind, but really uncomfortable with his topic. Dean, watching her intently, seeing her obvious discomfort with this memory. Inwardly he wondered if this warning would be enough to change her behavior in the future. He mused on their shared traits... _specifically that they were both so stubborn!_

Briefly, Amber looked up to meet Dean's eyes, taking a measure of his words, and quickly looked away. Knowing that this was a promise, she vowed to herself then and there that her Dean-torturing-days were over.

As Dean opened and arranged the food on the table, he continued, "Tomorrow won't be a game. I need to know I can trust you. I need to know you'll obey orders, you won't second guess me every step of the way, and you won't risk your safety. I need you to promise. And I need you to think this through very well. Because if you break that promise, my belt and your ass are gonna have a long bonding session you'll never forget." Dean didn't mind the risk of spoiling the good mood. He needed to be sure she knew exactly what he expected of her and nothing less. Time for positive talk and chick-flick moments would come later.

Her face turning beet red and her stomach once again had dropped to her feet. Amber managed to hold in her habitual arguing. Now was not the time. "I promise Dean," she said quietly, eyes cast to the side. Dean sized up her mood, letting his eyes linger on her face before nodding. And like that...the issue was closed.

After a few silent seconds Amber turned to look at her oldest brother, "Dean?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you ever let me drive the Impala?"

At this inquiry, there was a shift in the energy of the room to something bordering on jovial. Dean glanced at her, surprised for a second, before bursting into a hearty chuckle. "Ask me again when you're thirty, or something," he shook his head at the memory of a fourteen-year-old Sam asking him the same thing.

"Well, considering I might not live to be thirty…" Amber tried to play the manipulation l card, but was cut off by another booming laugh.

"That might have worked on Sammy, Amb, but it ain't gonna cut it with me. Not when Baby is involved. Don't take it personally. Sam didn't touch her til he was twenty two."

"Fine, be like that. You just lost a pieces of apple pie," she answered in a teasing tone of mock gloom, her sparkling eyes a testament to her lifted mood.

"All yours, kid. All yours."

* * *

TBC...


	10. When You Turn off the Lights Everything Comes into View - Part 2

**When You Turn off the Lights Everything Comes into View - Part 2**

**Title credit:** Lyrics from the song "Touch too much", by AC/DC (Highway to Hell, 1979)

* * *

Amber walked first into the majestic building. She smoothed her hair a bit awkwardly as she walked on the marble floor. Her eyes scanned the inside of the church as she continued her path down the long aisle. She counted six people around her. Seven if she counted the priest. Two middle aged women had their faces buried in pocket-sized bibles, their lips moving as if they were reading out loud, but no sound came out of them. An older silver-haired lady was lightly rocking her torso back and forth on her seat. Her head was turned towards the ceiling but her eyes were squinted shut as her hands clasped around a small wooden cross.  _It was so erie._

Cringing lightly at these images, Amber moved quickly to the front and sat herself in the first row of pews. Lowering her head and clasping her hands together the way a middle-aged man on her far left did, she pretended to be lost in prayer and thought. She slightly jumped with the tolling of the church bell sounded loudly, passing waves of sound and vibration through her body. As the bell's tolling cut through the silence of the church a second time, a pair of steps sounded clapping on the marble floor. As the sounds dissipated, Amber resumed her ruse, bowing her head over her clasped hands. She had a part to play. Fighting to keep her excited smile from surfacing, Amber opened her eyes and discreetly watched her brothers walking past her, closing the distance between themselves and the priest. They were dressed in black, wearing full-length priests robes which fell to their ankles, complete with the white clerical collar.

"Father Valdecantos? I'm Father Penn of the Dubuque Archdiocese and this here is Father DeNiro."

Amber bit her lip and fought the urge to snicker at the priest names they offered. Unable to decide if they lacked originality or were just having their own inside joke at the priest's expense, she focused on their approach to the witness just as they'd advised.

"We're here about the incident you witnessed two days ago. Olivia Sanchez?" Sam said in a kind tone. While still keeping his composure, the priest's face became all tight lines with this upsetting memory.

"Fathers, this is the House of the Lord. People come here to pray, not to interview me," the priest replied.

"You didn't seem to have any problem getting all chatty with the press and the cops," Dean quipped in his brusk baritone, sounding nothing like a priest. Amber rolled her eyes at Dean, even as she remained in character, head down, forehead resting on her praying hands. She heard, as much as she saw, the priest's body pull itself up to its full height. For some reason he was feeling attacked.

"I'm not talking about that anymore," the priest cut his words in an unrelenting tone. Amber saw him turning his back to her brothers and she watched with interest to see how this played out.

"And we couldn't care less. We need you to tell us what happened," Dean demanded in a gruff tone that made Amber's brow crease in confusion. Dean's blatant manner would definitely raise questions in the priest's mind.  _What was he thinking?_

To her surprise the priest's answer became more resigned, still defensive, but he slowly turned back to face the Winchesters. "You'll just think I'm making everything up. Or that I'm losing my mind. Like my bishop, like everyone else. But I knew Olivia. She was a good person, a kind soul." There was a catch in the priest's voice as he said this. Pausing to collect himself, taking a deep breath and letting it out, he continued. "I watched her being flayed in front of my very eyes, by something invisible. This was the Devil's work. I know what I saw..." the priest's voice was low and firm, heavy with conviction and emotion. He was clear-eyed as he stood tall, facing Sam and Dean.

"Did you see black smoke? Smell sulfur? Did it smell like rotten eggs?" Dean asked immediately.

"What?" Even without looking at him, Amber could tell by his tone that the priest was completely taken aback by the seemingly irrelevant questions.  _Way to go, Dean!_

"We never thought you were lying. We believe you and need more details" came Sam's warm voice. The priest visibly calmed, his shoulder and head dropping an inch into repose. Amber realized Sam could talk a beggar out of his only meal.  _What a talent!_ She reflected that she was glad Sam was on the good side...or at least on her side. Rousing herself from this observation Amber heard Sam's smoothe persuasion continue. "We just want to ask you a few questions about the incident. That's all."

After a short pause the priest's voice could be heard again, a bit apprehensive. "No… No smoke. No smell, " the priest's eyes carefully scrutinizing the faces of these unfamiliar clergy.

Amber, in the first pew, was up close to the altar and, and even in feigned reverence, had a first-class view as this interaction was unfolding.

"You mentioned to the press that she was 'speaking in tongues'," Sam tucked on.

"Yes… I think it was Hebrew… She kept repeating 'Prok yaw-thi a-law-haw'," the priest answered.

 _Prok yaw-thi a-law-haw._ The words sounded foreign and yet Amber felt she knew them. They reverberated through her memory, through the present, the past...through all times. She felt these words. Not fighting the urge, she pronounced them outloud. "Prok yaw-thi a-law-haw."

When three pairs of surprised eyes turned to her, she offered a slightly apologetic smile. "Forgive me fathers, for I have sinned. I overheard your conversation, not on purpose though," she said sweetly as she rose from her seat. Dean and Sam's eyes were wide, mouth's slightly dipped open, as were the priest's. Amber was going off script. "Um, it's not Hebrew. It's Aramaic. It means  _Save me, oh God!"_

"How could you possibly know that?" the priest asked in awe. If this was any other teen from his church he would be sure lecture them about the inappropriateness of eavesdropping, but something about this girl touched his very core, leaving him almost breathless and perplexed.

Amber glanced at Sam and Dean, who'd regained their neutral composure "Oh, I am homeschooled," she offered plainly as if to explain away how something so ancient and sacred would reasonably be found washed up on a public beach. Keeping her face humble, Amber placidly smiled as she slipped back into character. Now it was her que to leave. Turning her back on the three men, she exited the pew, knelt towards the altar, and crossed herself, genuflecting and headed outside, moving modestly.  _What an act!_ Dean and Sam were in astonishment of how completely different Amber could be...when she wanted to. Staying in character, Sam pulled his attention back to where he was at...and where he needed to go next.

"What they teach kids these days," Sam said pleasantly shaking his head in happy disbelief, as he and Dean turned back to the priest. "Thank you for your help Father Valdecantos. I think we have bothered you enough father. I will report your cooperation to the Bishop of Rome." The priest's eyes grew wide, but he said nothing. He'd not realized he was being questioned by the Inquisitors of the Holy See.

Sam had specifically chosen the long, black robes of this elite, educated branch of the Catholic church. As the highest-ranking members of the Catholic Church, the Jesuits were given a greater berth in how they navigated church politics and investigations. This opened doors out of fear and was extremely useful. He'd never told Dean why it worked so well. Dean's entitled attitude fit the status the Jesuits held in Catholic hierarchy and he blended in. Sam had stumbled on this all by accident. Time and again this ruse had been extremely useful, gaining rare access and needed compliance every time.

Sam and Dean, in full-on Jesuit Cassocks, were representing the church elite who were the enforcement arm of the pope. Walking out of the church, they didn't see the priest remain watching them while appearing to be in a daze.

* * *

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Amber, sat indian style in the Impala's back seat, sipped longingly her now-cold coffee. She remained looking out of the window and waiting excitedly for her brothers to finally join her. Once they finally drew close to the car, opening the doors and climbing in, she immediately declared, "That was so cool! It really felt like we're some sort of detective team! How was I?"

A highly amused Sam turned to look at her, "Well, that depends. What have you concluded based on what we have so far?"

Dean also turned in his seat to better look at the girl as she answered. "No smoke, no rotten egg smell, no demon," Amber said confidently.

"Yes and no," Dean countered.

"What?" Amber asked a bit flabbergasted.

"Sometimes demons can hide so well there is no way to tell. No sulfur smell. Or that of roses, right Sammy?" Dean said offering a side glance at his brother.

Sam turned to look at him with enlarged eyes. "Are you seriously bringing this up right now?"

"It's the perfect opportunity to bring it up. It'll help Amber understand," Dean answered seriously, eyes steady on his brother's.

"Uh.. What am I missing here?" Amber asked more confused than a minute ago. Her eyes scanned Sam's slightly flushed face and his forlorn expression and she grew uncomfortable. She hated seeing him upset and couldn't understand what could have possibly brought on this sudden change. "Sam? You ok?" She asked quietly after a few long silent seconds.

"Yeah. I'm fine, Amb. Dean's not wrong. This is a good opportunity for you to learn how easy it is to get played by a demon. The thing is, some of them, usually higher rank demons, can mask themselves completely. No smell left behind if they don't want to. You can stand next to them, talking to them, touching them and not knowing what they are if they don't choose to give it away," Sam explained as his mind traveled to the moments of blissful ignorance he had spent next to Meg and Ruby.

Sensing this was not the whole truth, but also sensing her brother's uneasiness to share further details, she simply asked, "So, we can't conclude it wasn't a demon?" Amber's voice rose in confusion, wondering briefly if her brother's were leading her on...because they could. Sam's momentary silence only fueling her anxiety. She still felt these moments of doubt. Continuing, Amber pushed her thoughts forward to see if she got an answer...from one of them. "And how can we ever trust anyone without dousing them with holy water?"

Dean glanced at his brother offering a hint of a reassuring smile. He knew very well that Sam hated to be reminded of those two encounters and everything they'd caused. But these experiences could end up as invaluable lessons for Amber. When Sam nodded lightly at him, as if to indicate they were cool he cleared his throat before answering his sister's questions in an even tone, "In this case it probably wasn't a hell's boy. When they mess with priests and churches they like to make a big spectacle of it. So sulfur, smoke, the whole freak-show is usually the way they go about it. But in order to be completely sure we need more info. And about ever trusting anyone? Don't!"

"Paranoid much?" Amber asked incredulously. "We can't not trust anyone," she countered. But as her brain slowly processed her own words she realized, at least in her case, this was the only thing she could and should do. "Oh…" She said quietly. "On second thought…"

Dean watched her face squinting to realization and acceptance and turned properly in his seat turning on the ignition. "That's the spirit, kid."

"All in all, you were very good. You caught and retained all the important information and even managed to keep your cover intact when you interjected yourself into the conversation," Sam praised.

"Yeah. Although you shouldn't have risked it, you did manage to play it well," Dean piped up as he started driving.

"Well, you weren't that discreet either, though," Amber countered. Not wanting to risk sounding challenging to either of her brothers, especially after last night's conversations, she quickly added, "I mean, you were too sharp with the priest. It could have tipped him off, raised questions…"

Sam turned to look smugly at Dean, "That's a very accurate observation, Amber. Dean can get too impatient and that doesn't always bode well for us." Internally patting himself on the back for choosing the Jesuit disguise, Sam simply buried this open secret in plain sight. Those who needed to be impressed were. Returning to Amber he continued. "Keep Dean's bad behavior in mind as an example of how NOT to approach a witness." A sly grin spread across Sam's face, eyes glinting with mischief. He didn't get many digs in on Dean's bad behavior, so this small payback felt vindicated.

"Yeah, yeah… Whatever. How did you know what those words meant? Did smart-ass over here make you learn Aramaic?" Dean asked with a hint of worry in his tone. On one hand he hoped the answer was yes. Although he then would have to talk to his brother about being so heartless to the kid. He couldn't even imagine what a negative answer would entail. Everything about the girl's nature was a mystery. With nephilims always being targeted and killed, there was too little lore and knowledge about them. Dean hated this uncertainty of what to expect. What should worry him and what shouldn't regarding a nephilim.  _Just so much was unknown..._

"No," Amber snorted at the way he phrased the question. "And I would greatly appreciate it if you'd stop giving him any more ideas, thank you very much!" At the small chuckle that escaped Sam's lips, she continued, "I just somehow knew what it meant. When I heard it it felt familiar, but I couldn't quite understand why. I felt the need to speak it out loud and when I did, I simply knew what the words meant." Her brothers, exchanging pensive glances, did not escape her. "What?" She asked. "It's too weird isn't it? Even for me?"

"Not too much, if you really think about it," Sam responded. "Angels are the messengers of God. One of their missions is to bring the message of the Lord to all the peoples of the earth. They're able to speak in all languages spoken on the earth, now or in the past. So I guess this is yet another angelic trait you inherited from your mom."

Amber's lips twitched slightly upwards at his words.

"And it saved your ass at least an hour of researching, right Sammy?" Dean asked as he took a sharp turn to the left, causing Amber to lose her balance and slam her shoulder on the door. She thumped against the door and fell back as the Impala corrected, now back on a straight road.

Her hand flew to rub at her shoulder, but mere seconds before she made to touch her hand to her shoulder she felt the pain fade away. It was accompanied by this feeling of heightened sensation in her shoulder, a pleasant sensation. Choosing not to comment on it, Amber simply glanced in the rearview mirror, annoyed, "Just how far away is the hospital?"

With an equally sharp turn to the right, that brought them in a large parking lot, Dean declared, "Right here."  _Augh!_  Dean's driving left a lot to be desired.

* * *

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* * *

Black shirts and clerical collars exchanged with white shirts and dark-colored ties, the Winchester brothers walked briskly down the halls of the hospital. In front of them, a medical examiner led the way, while behind them, Amber followed hastily staying just a step behind and clutching a notepad close to her chest. When they pushed the dark grey door and entered the coroner's lab they were immediately met with the sight of a young woman's body covered with a white sheet lying on a large metal table. The temperature in the morgue was cold and the whole scene abruptly plunked Amber into yet another Winchester hazing ritual: Investigating a death up close.

The chubby man gestured to the table, "This is the body, officers." His eyes flew to Amber momentarily. The girl looked pale and quite possibly ready to throw up. Her face had even gone slightly green, taking on the color of bile churning in her gut. "Turning worried eyes to the suited men, he asked quietly, "Are you sure a high-school intern is supposed to be here?"

"She is when she comes from a high-end private school and aspires to become a coroner," Sam declared confidently. "That will be all, Carl! Thank you," he added quickly and placing a palm between the man's shoulder blades lightly pushed him towards the exit.

"But… I need to prep her for…" He trailed off pointing a finger to the body.

"No, we're all covered. Carl. You need to let us do our work, now. Thanks," Sam insisted. As he held the door open and the hesitant examiner stepped outside he offered a reassuring smile and closed the door before turning back to the siblings.

In an instant, Amber looked like her normal inquisitive self, normal, healthy color in her face, and she had already closed in on the body. Although this was an entirely new experience for Amber, she was fine with it. Her objective sense of observation kicked in and she leaned close to the woman's face, regarding her with awe.

"You weren't exaggerating on the acting skills," Sam whispered to Dean as he walked past him and towards the body himself. Seconds ago he was beginning to think Amber was truly uncomfortable with being so close to a body.  _That was some good acting._ Very impressive... _impressive and concerning._

Dean smirked and gave Sam the knowing eye. Yep, that was something to keep an eye on with their sister.

Casting his eyes about the office, Dean located his what he was looking for over on the counter. Opening up the folder of the coroner's report, Dean started scanning it. "Olivia Sanchez… Blah blah blah… Deep cuts on her back as though she'd been whipped…."

Standing at Dean's left elbow, Amber spotted the vinyl gloves off to the side and grabbed a pair and put them on. They were huge on her hands, looking like floppy webbing. They'd do. Then she stepped closer to the woman's corpse.

Dean, lifting his end of the sheet, peered over the body. "Sammy, the report says she has lacerations all over her back,"

Bracing her feet on the floor, and using her upper body strength to her best advantage, Amber managed to turn the dead woman on her side, exposing her back enough for them all to see the laceration marks. Touching a dead body for the first time, she wasn't expecting the hard, coldness of it, but it didn't really bother her. It felt like an empty shell, or as Castiel would call it, an empty vessel.

As Dean and Sam walked around the body, they conducted a full inspection of all the woman's injuries. Amber listened and watched, fascinated by the process.

Sam watched Amber very matter-of-factly glove up, turn the body, hold it in position and pay attention during this all. This was unexpected, but he decided to just watch. She was being very helpful and her fortitude was impressive, even if it was somewhat startling. Refocusing on the woman's injuries Sam walked to the other side of the autopsy table.

Moving to examine her limbs, Dean's eyebrows raised slightly before he continued, clearing his throat. "Holes punctured through her hands and her feet, and... and look here Sammy... pinprick wounds around the top of her skull."

"Stigmata?" Sam proposed as he looked closely at the forehead's punctures and the holes that gaped open in the center of the palms.

"Yep. Hey, listen to this:  _the brain seems to have undergone liquefactive necrosis from unknown causes._ What the hell is liquefactive necrosis?" Dean asked eyes squinting in contemplation.

Before Sam had the chance to get his phone out to google it, Amber piped up, "It's when the brain turns into a goopy mush."

At the startled looks she received she shrugged her shoulders. "What? I've binge-watched all of House M.D. and Grey's Anatomy." At their lack of response she asked, "So… What kind of creature liquifies brains and reenacts the passions of Christ?"

"Good question," Dean mumbled as he looked up and down the body.

"None. To my knowledge, at least," Sam said thoughtfully. Clapping his hand he then declared, "So what do we do when we're not sure what we're facing?"

"Gathering more clues," Amber answered immediately earning a smile from Sam and a nod from Dean. "Lucky us," the oldest Winchester's deep voice mumbled,  _tiredly._

Done with the examination of the corpse, Amber gently let the woman's body lie back down onto the autopsy table, covering it up with the sheet. Sam only then realized his sister had been holding a dead body on it's side for them the entire time. She hadn't made a single negative or squeamish comment. Not missing a step, they three siblings carried on, but Sam registered Amber's odd comfort in such an odd situation. He wasn't sure what this meant overall. It sure was handy right now.

Walking out of the morgue, Dean and Sam brought up the rear. Leaning in, Dean whispered to Sam, "She held the body in place Sam. She touched her first dead body." Sam just nodded and indicated they'd talk more later. Dean let it drop.

After exiting the coroner's office Sam was looking down at his notes, his eyes moving down to the next thing on their list.

"To the CPS office, then."

"CPS?" Amber asked tilting her head to the side as the three of them filed out into the parking lot.

"Child Protective Services," Dean supplied.

Sam, noticing Amber's paling face immediately added, "You can sit this one out and we'll brief you when we're done."

Dean turned to look at the pair of them, still a bit confused. At the look Sam gave him, his brain finally processed what was going on. Pausing long enough for Amber to walk beside him he clasped a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, "Hey," he told her, Amber's eyes looking up to meet his own. "No need to worry over these things anymore." Dean's hand on her shoulder was new to Amber. Their more relaxed manner between the two of them still felt odd, but Amber had to admit, she felt safe with Dean's hand on her shoulder, his understanding of her need to stay far out of sight of the CPS authorities.

"I know… But… I'd rather stay in the car," she said hesitantly, failing to mask the fear and worry that crept into her tone. She felt Sam and Dean had her was trusting that Sam and Dean had her covered. Dean could feel her mental gears turning. He knew he'd keep her out of CPS's hands, but was their relationship better to the point Amber knew she had nothing to worry about from him, from them both? Giving her a friendly, reassuring one-armed hug about the shoulder shoulders a firmer hug about She knew she had much more frightening monsters after her, like the Devil himself. Yet the simple notion of getting remotely close to the government's child protection services made her stomach churn and her heart beat faster with anxiety and fear. Being taken away from Sam and Dean seemed like an almost pleasant scenario a few weeks back, but now it was one of her darkest nightmares.

"Of course, kid," Dean said reassuringly and squeezed her shoulder lightly. "We'll get you some pie for the wait," he added with a wink.

* * *

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* * *

Amber glanced up from the book she was reading as aggravated voices sounded from somewhere close-by. She lifted her head and looked outside only to see Sam and Dean striding briskly to the car. She couldn't make out what they were saying but she could tell they weren't in any kind of agreement. Sam was shaking his head and tried to make a point, while Dean mostly ignored him or paused his steps answering something and gesturing his hands wildly. Amber tilted her head to the side watching them with interest till they finally reached the car and all but ripped the doors open.

"We need to do more research!" Sam exclaimed, as he closed the door behind him causing the Impala to shake lightly.

"What we need is feed the witch a killing capsule," Dean corrected. "She's a Wiccan, Sam! Olivia was her boss! There's the means and the motive! What more do we need?"

"We can't go killing people on the hunch they might be witches, Dean," Sam objected. "Beth cooperated with everything, gave us the files Olivia was working on, told us everything she knew…"

"Right… And we've never been lied to before, have we Sammy?"

Amber's eyes glanced away at a sudden blue glimpse on her right. As her brothers continued their arguing she spotted two police cars rushing past them and stopping two blocks away in front of where a bunch of people were gathering on the pavement, straining their necks as if trying to see something inside the nearest store.

"Uhm, guys?" Amber tried to get their attention as she scooted closer to the window. When they simply continued their arguing she repeated a bit louder, "Guys!" Seeing they still didn't register her words, she opened her door and stepped outside. As expected, both of her brothers heads turned abruptly to see where she was going.

Simply pointing to the gathering of people and policemen was enough to get both Winchester brothers out of the car and moving towards the scene. When they approached, people were being ushered away, while the area in front of the 'Joe's Market' was being taped with a striped yellow tape that read 'ACTIVE CRIME SCENE'. When one of the men in uniform strode towards them demanding they stay back, Sam and Dean merely flashed their fake federal badges before heading inside. Amber attempted to follow, but was immediately stopped by the same man. Knowing there was no point in arguing she remained behind the tape and patiently waited, eyes following her brothers' silhouettes inside the store.

When they emerged, a good ten minutes later, they wore pensive expressions.

"What happened?" Amber asked eagerly as they stepped out of the scene and next to her on the pavement.

"A delivery boy… He suffered the exact same death as Olivia," Sam filled her in.

Eyes darting between them she mentioned, "Then the witch theory doesn't seem to really cut it, does it?"

"Why not? She might have history with the kid," Dean proposed.

"You just won't let his go, will you?" Sam asked exasperatedly.

"Do you have any other ideas?" Dean asked crossing his hands in front of his chest.

"Yes, actually," Sam retorted taking out his phone. He pulled up his photo gallery and turned the screen to Dean, as Amber scurried up next to him so she could also take a look. "This is the delivery boy's route for the day. Check out the last address...right here." His finger pointing at an address, a half second later he swept to a second photo. This time a picture from Olivia's case load appeared. "The same address Olivia visited early in the morning the day of her death."

"House visit?" Amber proposed smiling excitedly.

Dean huffed and remained silent for a few seconds. "Fine. It's worth checking out. But if there's no new lead there, I'm going for the witch."

"You really don't like witches, do you?" Amber quipped as the three of them walked briskly back to the car.

* * *

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The three Winchesters stared at the make-shift metallic fence-gate blocking the entrance to the small dirt road in front of them with dismay. A large red sign reading "NO TRESPASSING" glared right back at them, while tall trees and thick bushes extended on either side of the small road behind it.

Turning off the ignition, Dean glanced at Sam in contemplation. "I guess we're walking," he finally sighed.

The three of them exited the car. After locking it, Dean was the first to grab hold of the fence and climb over it, grunting in an exaggerated show of effort. Amber watched him amused and the moment he stood to his full height on the other side, she simply walked to the edge of the metal construct. With no wall or other element to be attached to, it left more than enough space for a person to simply walk by it. Smirking, but refraining from commenting, Sam followed her and the two of them walked past Dean who stood still for a second, glaring at the fence annoyed.

As they walked under the large shadows cast by a tree, stopping to converse, Dean clapped his hands loudly. "Ok, let's recap. Super religious old-testament pricks, live without any sort of modern comfort, homeschooled children, and let their oldest daughter, Magda, die from pneumonia because it was 'God's will'. Am I forgetting anything?" Sam had stopped and was considering Dean's summation.

"No, that's pretty much everything Beth told us. Olivia was keeping a close eye on them ever since Magda died to ensure the younger son wouldn't suffer the same fate," Sam nodded.

A few feet up ahead, aggravated hand waving wildly in front of her in a vain attempt to shoo away a bunch of tiny, black flies, Amber batted at the gnats hovering near her face. They were getting everywhere; her eyes, her nostrils, in her hair.  _They were awful!_ Amber grumbled, "Too many insects! God, I hope this won't take long." She hurried back to walk closer to her brothers as she glanced around. She was nervous. Something didn't feel right in this place and she couldn't place her finger on it.

As they kept walking away from the car her discomfort increased even more. This was their only way out if anything happened and events demanded they ran back to the Impala. At the very thought of that scenario her heart rate increased as her mind was suddenly flooded with the memory of her desperate running in the woods, with Crowley following close behind her.

"Amber?" Sam's voice brought back to reality and she realized that she had grabbed a fistfull of his sweater vest. "You alright?" Sam asked, his brow creased with worry.

"Yeah. Yeah, sorry, I thought I heard something," the girl mumbled apologetically, eyes darting to the side as she released her hold on Sam.

"Amber…" Sam's tone wasn't sharp, but it held warning.

Glancing at him she offered an apologetic smile. "Sorry. I just can't talk about it right now. I don't feel particularly safe in forests," she said quietly.

The road started widening and curving as the sight of a small cottage greeted them. Deciding that dropping it for now was the only option, Sam simply nodded. "Get your notepad ready," he reminded her.

As soon as they reached the front porch a tan, half-bald, middle-aged man stepped towards them with a smile. "May I help you folks?"

Sam stepped forward with his usual kind smile plastered over his face, "Are you Mr. Abraham Peterson?"

"That would be me, yeah," the man nodded.

Extending a hand to shake with him Sam went on, "Good afternoon Mr. Peterson. I'm James Morrison and this is my associate Ray are your new CPS case workers."

Returning the handshake the man scanned the three of them with his dull blue eyes. "What about the kid?" The man asked eyes boring into Amber's.

Before Sam had the chance to answer, Amber walked forward. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and wearing a shy smile she extended a hand to the man as she answered him in a seemingly nervous tone, "Laura Jane Grace, sir. I'm a high school intern."

At the man's tight smile she added, "I was expecting tall hats, suspenders, and long beards…"

"We're not that kind of religious, young lady," Abraham answered. The sound of the house's door opening preceded the presence of the woman that next approached. She seemed a bit younger than Abraham. Her copper colored hair were graying and she wore it in a tight bun. Her long floral dress stopped mere inches off the wooden boards of the porch and a small white apron was tied at her waist.

"Abraham?" She called as she walked closer inspecting their unexpected guests.

"We have visitors Gail. CPS again," the man said in a neutral tone.

"Oh?" The woman said questioningly. "But where's Olivia? Olivia is our case worker. She was here a couple of days ago," the woman said.

Amber watched both of the Petersons intently as Dean spoke for the first time. "I'm afraid Olivia Sanchez is dead."

True shock crossed both their faces. "Oh, Lord! How did it happen?" The wife asked.

"The police are still looking into that. Uh, may we come in?" Dean again.

"Oh, of course. Where's my manners?" The woman mumbled as she hastened to open the door and keep it open for the three of them to walk inside.

"I'll let you fill them in. I'm gonna finish cleaning up the barn," her husband called.

The Winchesters stepped inside the spacious living room and scanned the space around them. It was furnished with few and old looking furniture. Two small sofas, an armchair, a coffee table and a dining table for four was all that could be seen in the living area. The sole decoration came in the form of a few framed photographs propped up on the fireplace mantle.

The woman gestured for them to sit on the sofas and hustled in the kitchen. Dean sat, his eyes darting around every surface of the room, while Sam moved to the mantle and looked over the photographs.

Amber started moving around quietly. Her steps led her to the living room's door and a small hall. Feeling a pull she couldn't explain she made to move towards that direction but stopped in her tracks when Gail appeared from the kitchen's door holding a disk filled with glasses and a jug of lemonade.

"I hope lemonade is fine?" The woman asked as her eyes bore into the girl's.

"Perfect," Amber said pleasantly and tightened the hold around her notepad before turning around and returning to the living room with the woman following right behind her.

As Gail placed the disk on the coffee table Sam held up a photo frame from his spot in front of the fireplace commenting, "You look really happy."

Gail glanced once before crossing her arms across her chest and shaking her head. "Looks can be deceiving, young man. We were the personification of unhappiness. Overworked, tired, sick. We didn't communicate, we barely existed. Everything crumpled after a car accident that almost left me paralyzed. I walked again, but the pain… Oh, the pain… Doctors couldn't do anything. Pills stopped working..." The woman trailed. She remained silent for a second before turning her eyes up to look at each one of the siblings imploringly. "Till God came to me. Do you know God?"

"Know him? We're besties."

Not even registering Dean's comment, Amber felt her stomach tighten at the woman's words. A lump formed in her throat. Not because she felt sorry for her. But because she was disgusted. The woman who let her own kid die from pneumonia sat in front of them telling them how she enjoyed the modern medicine she was now condemning. The unfairness of it all struck Amber so hard she could barely keep from jumping on the woman. An urge to make her pay, to hurt her was slowly but steadily surfacing. Taking in deep breaths she managed to retain some ounce of control and focused her attention to the way Sam and Dean were handling the situation.

Gail smiled coldly but didn't comment. Instead she turned back to Sam. "God came to me. Showed me a better way to live. Told me He'd fix everything. That he'd take away the pain if we lived a life of simplicity and prayer. So we sold everything and came here. Bought this small piece of land and followed His orders."

"And is the pain gone?" Sam asked in an even tone as he placed the frame back in its proper place.

"I get by, Praise His Name," Gail answered smiling.

Clearing his throat Dean interrupted the exchange. "Mrs. Peterson, do you know Ricky Copeland?"

Eyebrows rising at the sudden change in the conversation the woman nodded. "The delivery boy? Yes. Kind young man. He brings us from the market the things we need and can't grow on our own. Why?"

Exchanging a look with Sam Dean grabbed a glass of lemonade and after taking a sip said, "Well, he's dead too."

The woman's eyes enlarged for a fragment of a second. If Amber wasn't looking at her so intently she might have missed it, but she didn't.

"I see," Gail said evenly after a while.

"You see? You see?" Amber asked with a scoff. "That's all?"

Turning steely eyes to her, the woman simply answered, "God has a plan for us all."

Scoffing again Amber shook her head, "So your daughter's death, that was God's plan too?" she all but yelled.

"Yes," Gail answered unphased.

Sam's shout of "Laura, you need to calm down," didn't even register as the image of her mother laying on a bloody blanket dead filled her mind.

"She didn't have to die," Amber said, her voice trembling with emotion.

"She was sick!"

"If you'd taken her to a doctor…" Amber countered, but was cut off by Gail.

"God has…"

Not letting her finish she all but screamed, "God didn't kill your daughter, you did!"

"Leave. Out of my house!" The voice that was heard was not Gail's. It was Abraham's. He stood tall in the living room's door frame, shoulders squared, legs spread apart, hands crossed across his chest.

Dean held up placating hands and nodded, "Yes, I think it would be best." He moved towards Amber and clasped both hands on her shoulders as he steered her out of the room. Sam followed close behind them.

It wasn't until they entered the car that they glanced at each other. Dean turned to take a better look at his sister, who was leaning her head against the window glass of the right back door. "Are you alright? What was all that about?"

Amber turned to look at him incredulously. "What do you think it was about? She killed her daughter. She left her die helpless and sick," she answered, her tone brimmed with disgust and contempt.

Dean brought a hand to rub at his chin before nodding. "Yes. Yes she did. But you need to learn to control yourself in such situations. In order to get as much intel as possible we need them to keep talking, not kicking us out."

Sam could tell there was a deeper level to what Amber was experiencing, but right now they had to prioritize before a third body dropped dead. Offering an understanding look to his sister, Sam added, "In this line of work, Amb, we encounter sick people like Gail more often than not. I know it's not much of a consolation, but you'll gradually toughen up."

The girl remained silent for a few seconds. Taking in a steadying breath she finally nodded. Clearing her throat, she asked, "So… The daughter's ghost maybe? They let her die, she seeks revenge?"

"Seems possible," Dean had to admit. "But we need to EMF to make sure."

"We can't exactly walk around the farm with beeping trackers after what just happened," Sam countered. "I think it's a safe bet. Let's go home, grab a bite, some rest, and wait till it's dark to go salt and burn Magda's grave."

* * *

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The dull popcorn ceiling of the room felt like it was swaying as Amber's eyes stared at it unfocused. The distant sound of passing cars, the rhythmical tapping sound of the leaking sink's faucet and the light snoring rumbling in her brothers' chests started to finally blend together and after more than an hour of unsettling thoughts and fruitless sleeping efforts her eyes fluttered closed. The sweaty face of her mother holding a baby, her wings burned on the ground, soft crying and chanting. She moved her head to the right. A makeshift altar. A bible. A cross made of twigs tied together with a burlap string. A cement floor, dark walls, a small window on the far corner of the low ceiling. A sickening smell of humidity and rust. Of blood. Soft crying. The sound of a lash from a whip. She turned to the left, her stomach a tight knot. A girl kneeling before the altar holding a whip. A woman walking around the girl in a slow circle. "Confess your sins!". Another lashfrom the whip her mother held, another cry. "Prok yaw-thi a-law-haw". Amber screamed at her to stop, but no voice left her lips. She tried to move to grab the whip, but her feet wouldn't move. Her heart pounded violently. 'Prok yaw-thi a-law-haw'.

" _STOP!"_

The intensity of her own scream woke her up with a start. Her hand flew to her chest and she looked around her bewildered. Sam and Dean were already on their feet, standing above the couch she was lying on, looking worried.

As Sam moved to fill a glass with cold water, Dean knelt next to her and ran a soothing hand over her hair. "Just a dream, Amb. Just a nightmare," he said in a quiet tone.

Amber shook her head. "No! This… This was not a dream!"

Sam walked back to her, handing her the glass. He watched as she sat up, clutched it tentatively, then, firming her grip, took the glass and gulped down a couple of sips before depositing it on the coffee table. She turned to look at her brothers. "Magda's alive."

Sam and Dean looked at her surprised. Sam clasped a hand over hers in an attempt to calm her down as he spoke, "Amb, no. She's dead. We saw the case file. The death certificate… They told us…"

Shaking her head Amber cut him off. "She's alive. They keep her in the basement. Gail is there right now, making her whip herself. I heard the words… 'Prok yaw-thi a-law-haw'. Magda was saying them. We need to save her. We need to get there! Now!"

"Amber, you had a nightmare. This whole case has shaken you up," Dean tried.

" _It was not a dream!"_  Amber bellowed her eyes darting between them desperately. "Please! You have to believe me! This was not a dream. I saw her. She's there. We need to get there… We need to get there now! Dean, please!"

Dean contemplated her words for only a second. His mind traveled to Sam's visions all those years ago. With a glance at his brother he could tell he was thinking the exact same thing. "Ok. We'll go check," he finally said.

Amber let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She shot to her feet and ran to the bathroom. As she splashed some cold water over her heated face, Sam and Dean stared at each other in deep contemplation.

"What if she's right? What does that mean?" Sam asked in a worried tone.

"Beats me, Sammy," Dean answered gruffly as he grabbed his phone and shoved it in his jeans back pocket.

The drive to the Petersons was silent. All three Winchesters' thoughts circled around what had just happened and what it could possibly mean. Amber's stomach was a tight knot, churning uncomfortably. A large lump in her throat made breathing difficult. The mere thought of what was happening to Magda, at that very moment, made her sick. Her thoughts jumped from the images of her vision, to the face of her mother, and to the fact that she had seen what was going on. She felt scared and uneasy, but also thankful that now she knew and they'd be able to help. At the same time a rage she had never felt before gradually emerged. Her whole being wanted nothing more than to rip that woman apart...limb from limb. She wanted to see her in pain. In raw pain and then to end her. She didn't deserve to live. She didn't deserve to have children. She didn't deserve to be spared.

When the car came to a stop in front of the fence, Amber was the first to step out of the Impala. Her lips were drawn in a thin line and her jaw clenched as she moved quietly past the fence, with Sam and Dean close behind her.

"Hey!"

At her brother's call, she turned to see him holding out a small handgun, similar to the one she was using during training, and a torch. "Keep the torch pointing to the ground," Dean once she took the gun and secured it in her jacket's inner pocket, while she kept the torch pointing downwards as instruc ted. Sam took the lead and the three siblings moved along the dark dirt road silently.

As the small cottage came into view Sam indicated, with a short movement of his hand, that he'd head to the stables, where a small light was flickering.

Nodding at his brother Dean locked eyes with Amber and motioned with his head to follow him. The two of them walked stealthily until they reached the house. Turning their backs to the walls and moving sideways around the small building they searched for a possible entrance, eyes scanning the inside of the house through every window they passed for any kind of movement. Reaching the backdoor, Dean glanced through its glass panels. Using a steady hand to quietly turn the doorknob he sighed with relief upon finding it open. He pushed the door open and stepped inside signaling for Amber to wait outside. When he was certain nobody was around he moved to the side, allowing his sister's entrance to the room. It was then, in the silence of that moment that a muffled scream was heard from somewhere below them.

"The basement! We need to find the basement," Amber whispered, her voice trembling with rage and worry. Moving ahead of him she walked to the small hallway. Finding it deserted she followed the next scream, now louder, to a small wooden door.

"Step behind me," Dean ordered as they approached it.

Amber hesitated only for a second before following the order. She watched Dean turning the knob ever so carefully and inching the door open as far as it needed to go for the two of them to sneak inside. Pointing the gun ahead of him he took a careful step forward.

Amber mimicked his movements and glanced at the wooden stairs that spread below them. They couldn't see the room they led to, but now the soft crying of the girl and the cold voice of Gail could be heard clearly. Gail was reading some biblical excerpt. Using Gails voice as cover, Dean crept down to the basement, one step at a time, the wail of pain rang through the room. This chilled them both. This anguished cry carried deep into their hearts and minds...to their core. There were no words for this...but to stop it, to save her. Amber followed him closely holding her breath. When the sound of the whip sounded again a small whimper escaped her own lips, but she was sure Gail couldn't have heard it.

Dean threw her a worried glance but took one more tentative step down. Then he paused. This was the last step that kept them hidden and he couldn't see anything. Unsure of what exactly they were facing he swore under his breath for taking Amber with him in that room.

"GAIL!"

Dean had little time to register whose voice he heard. Instinctively pushing Amber against the wall and covering her with his own body he had no time to react when the woman appeared on the stairs. Overcoming her shock much quicker than Dean did, she used the handle of the whip to slam it against his temple. Amber screamed as she saw her brother collapsing with a grunt. Before she had time to form any coherent thought she felt a sharp pain exploding in her own head. As she fell forward her eyes caught a male figure standing behind her. A white fog engulfed her as she slowly drifted to unconsciousness.

 

* * *

 

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A soft melodic humming echoed from somewhere faraway. Her eyes fluttered open and she had to wait a few seconds before they could bring anything to focus. She was lying on a dirty cement floor. The altar Amber remembered from her dream, it was less than a foot away from her. On her right, Magda, dressed in a torn and dirty dress, that could have been white a long time ago, was hugging her knees and lightly rocking her body back and forth in tune with her humming. As the memories of what happened suddenly came to the surface of her foggy mind, Amber sat up hastily with a sharp inhale of air. Her gaze darted to her left, where Dean's body was laying still. Her heart jumped in her chest and she attempted to move close to him only to realize her right hand was bound with a rusty chain to an old heater. Bringing her left hand to her head, where she remembered being hit she felt something dry in her hair. Bringing her hand close to her eyes to examine it she realized it was dried blood. Realizing she didn't feel any pain, her hand explored her skull once more, but found no trace of wound, moisture, or pain.

"Dean?" She called urgently. "Dean!"

"He can't hear you," Magda said quietly, her eyes inspecting the other girl distantly. "You two were out for hours."

Hours… Amber's worry increased. Being unconscious for so long couldn't be good… Her eyes turned to the girl and she swallowed with difficulty at the state she was in. Pale, grimy, unkempt and thin... _so thin_...she looked as if she hadn't bathed in weeks. But it was the girls's eyes, Magda's eyes, that quietly bore witness to resigned helplessness.

 _And...her back was raw and bloody._  Jesus! Like a forgotten prisoner, forgotten in a dungeon and left to rot, she was a terrifying sight. Her hair stuck on her face and her lips were dried and chapped. "Are you Magda? Magda Peterson?" Amber finally managed to ask.

The girl looked at her startled. Her eyes enlarged and her mouth gaped open for a second before forming an apologetic smile. "Oh no! No! I'm the Devil!"

Amber felt her chest tighten as the urge to hurt Gail resurfaced fullforce. "But I saw your pictures upstairs, in the living room. You're Magda."

The girl shook her head. "Not anymore. The Devil has me now. He works through me," the girl shook her head once more and rocked her body a bit faster.

"How?" Amber asked, unable to think of anything else to ask or answer.

"He's in me. He makes me do things. I can do things nobody should be doing."

"Could you show me?" Amber said offering a small encouraging smile.

Magda looked at her surprised. Her eyes darted to the door and she swallowed with difficulty. Then she slowly turned to the altar and stared at the twig that hung across from the wall. Amber watched it tremble slightly before it slowly left its hook and levitated in midair.

"Oh, Magda… That's not evil. That's a gift!" At the shocked gaze she received from the other girl she continued. "I can do things too, you know. I see things. I dreamt about you earlier today. Saw that woman torturing you, that's why I came here…"

"Then you must be evil too," Magda said quietly as she lowered the cross back to its proper place.

"Trust me… I've seen Evil. Real evil. You look nothing like it. This power… this is a gift. You can learn to control it. You can use it to help people."

Magda stared back at her in silence. "I didn't want to hurt them. I just hoped they could help me. I hoped if they saw me they might take me away. I didn't mean to hurt them…"

"I know you didn't. None of this is your fault. It's all hers. This is all on your parents, not you, Magda. And we can help you. We can take you out of here but we need your help…"

The sound of the door opening cut her off. Magda immediately whimpered and scooted away from the stairs. Amber watched Abraham along with the son walking down the stairs. Abraham walked to Dean and made quick work of untying him. He slapped his face lightly a couple of times eliciting some soft sounds from him. Grunting, he managed to get the oldest Winchester up and using the banister of the stairs for support as they began to guide him upstairs. "Get the girl and then your sister," he called back to his son, who dutifully closed on Amber.

"You need to help us get her out of here! She's your sister!" Amber said in a poisonous tone. "She's your fucking sister!"

"She's the Devil. Ma says," Elijah mumbled as he used a small key to unlock the chain from the heater and helped Amber to her feet.

"Wrong answer!" Amber whispered. Suddenly, Amber's elbow shot out and caught Elijah in his ribs causing him to double over in pain. Using her knee, she kicked his lowered head sending him tumbling backwards.. When the boy hit the ground, grunting in pain, she landed a last kick on his jaw, knocking him out. Her eyes glinted golden as she managed to pry her wrists free from the chain. The cuts that gushed open almost immediately healed. She turned to the stunned Magda and helped her to her feet. "Be quiet now," she whispered and the two of them slowly headed for the stairs.

Amber glanced at the kitchen and saw Gail serving some sort of soup to the plates set on the table. Her husband sat in his chair nonchalantly, while Sam and Dean were tied to chairs next to each other. Dean, still out of it and Sam looking around him bewildered. When his eyes caught his sister on the hallway he sucked in a breath. Amber wondered how he ended up there but her focus immediately shifted to the rigid Gail.

Amber's eyes locked on the woman. All of her rage erupted inside her. It was a blinding and focused rage, igniting her intent. Without thought, her hand raised of its own accord and Gail suddenly grunted, lurching forward and loosening her grip. Her hands let go of the steaming pot which tumbled onto the floor, spilling hot soup over her legs and causing her to scream in pain. Just as suddenly, her body slammed against the opposite wall with a sickening wet crack.

Abraham shot to his feet and grabbed a knife from the table. He moved behind Sam and held it to his throat. "Let her go," he yelled, his eyes darting between his daughter and Amber.

Before Amber had the chance to react, Magda tilted her head to the side. The knife slipped out of her father's hand and slowly moved towards Gail,who was still pinned against the wall by Amber's power. The knife hovered in the air and slowly turned, til its sharp blade tip pointed dead center at Gail's right eye.

"Magda, no!"

At the sound of Sam's panicked voice, Amber's eyes shot to him, surprised to hear his words. His gaze bore into his sister's as he shook his head and when he spoke his voice was hoarse. "Amber! This is not the solution. This is  _not_ what we do! We're not killers," Sam said in a desperate tone.

Amber looked at him, realizing for the first time how fogged and muddy her brain felt...the way it had felt when she first came back to her senses. She turned to look at Gail flailing against the wall, crying and yelling under the unrelenting pressure of the invisible grip she had on her. Abraham's terrified and pleading expression. Magda's eyes, distant and unfocused. Taking in a steadying breath, Amber turned to the girl beside her as she lowered her own hand. Gail slid down the wall, away from the knife in sync with Amber's descending hand.

"Let it go, Magda. It's over," Amber said quietly. She kept her eyes locked with Magda's, holding her breath, waiting for Magda to respond, to de-escalate from this primitive instinct to keep herself alive...and to lash out. A hint of awareness flowed into Magda's eyes, her face shifting to one of self possessed thought...even as it held continuing distress.

The knife hovered for another second before it cut through the wall viciously. Magda turned her gaze to her panting mother, as Abraham crawled to hold Gail in his arms, looking at the two girls frightened. Amber rushed to untie Sam and used the same rope to tie the Petersons, while her brother tended to Dean and called the authorities. Walking slowly to her siblings she watched Magda heading back to the basement and emerging a minute later supporting Elijah. The two of them collapsed on the floor staring at each other at a complete loss as the sound of sirens started sounding in the distance.

Amber's gaze turned to Dean momentarily. She watched Sam inspecting the gush on his left temple. "How is he?" She asked worriedly, hearing her own voice sounding weak.

"He's going to be ok," Sam reassured. "Here, hold this on his head," he instructed handing her the ice-bag he had retrieved from the freezer. Getting to the sink he soaked a dish towel with cold water and rushed back to pat it against Dean's face. When light groans escaped the oldest Winchester's lips, Amber sighed relieved.

Dean's eyes opened with difficulty and it took him awhile to make out his siblings' faces. "What…" He trailed in a failed attempt to assess the situation.

"We're alright," Amber told him reassuringly, offering a small smile.

Sam glanced at her and managed to hide his worry as he turned to his brother. "Yeah, Dean. We're alright."

 

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Standing outside of the house, Dean was still having trouble orienting his focus. He'd lost some blood and had lost consciousness. Like an avalanche survivor who sees sunlight after being buried under 30 feet of snow, he felt like he was taking his first breath of a new life...and couldn't quite believe he'd survived. Anger and guilt simmered inside of him. Second thoughts on taking Amber with them, the realization of how much was risked tonight. But then again, without her they might not be standing here at this moment. The police and EMTs wouldn't be working to secure Abraham and Gail… And most importantly CPS wouldn't be tending to Magda and Elijah. Magda would still be in that basement. He might not yet have any idea of what happened while he was out of it, but no. Despite all the what ifs that flooded his mind, this couldn't possibly be wrong.

Amber found herself standing off to the side, out of sight of CPS, while attempting to keep some eye contact with Magda. The amount of time they'd end up being at the farmhouse, after the police arrived, was more than Amber could have anticipated. They had to stay at the scene while the police worked to wrap things up. Sam wanted to make sure Magda and Elijah would be taken care of and that he gave elaborate reports to the local authorities. Amber watched as Magda and Elijah were led away by the people of CPS. She felt like she was abandoning the girl, but she couldn't risk saying goodbye. She had to stay out of sight despite how awful it felt. She then spotted Sam looking around him. He'd just stepped away from speaking with the local sheriff. When their glazed-over eyes met, she sent him a reassuring nod. She was fine. Sam then turned his attention to Dean.

Spotting his older brother leaning against the fence, Sam walked over. He took in his brother's whole stance. Dean was in shock, standing rigid, eyes defocused, face pale and emotionless. Sam made out that Dean was shivering. His shoulders, hell, his whole body shook in a sort of vibration while droplets of sweat had formed a film on his face. Realizing they shouldn't wait much longer before getting some fluids inside him, and having given his deposition to the local policemen, Sam draped one of Dean's arms over his shoulders and supported him as they started walking away from the house and towards the twirling dirt road that would lead them back to the Impala.

As they drew close to her, Amber fell into pace with them, walking behind them, following. "Shouldn't we ask for someone to help us carry him?" She asked Sam worriedly.

Sam shook his head as reassuringly as he could. "No. The walk to the car will do him good. He needs to stay awake til we fill him up with coffee, sugar, and electrolytes. Just in case he has a concussion."

Seeing their sister's eyes enlarging he immediately tucked on, "Hey, no need to worry. Trust me, he's had way worse. He'll be as good as new before long."

Not particularly reassured Amber only nodded. The walk to the car took them about ten minutes, during which time the two siblings kept asking Dean random questions to ensure he wouldn't doze off. A while later they had a small break at a serving station to gas up the Impala, get that much needed hot coffee for Dean, and take a stab at getting some of the dirt and blood off of them. It was a wonder the horrified teen at the service desk even gave them the key to the bathroom. He'd been shocked and in disbelief when asked where the bathrooms were by people who should've been asking where the hospital was, but he'd snapped out of it the moment Sam took charge in his amicable fashion… His offered explanation that they had a small car accident combined with Amber's sweet smile was enough to persuade the kid they just needed to get themselves cleaned up.

Key in hand, Sam led Dean to the Mens' room, unlocked the door and waited to see what condition it would be in. Gas station bathrooms were always...well... _adventurous_. Thankfully, this service station's bathroom wasn't bad at all. Being early in the morning it was freshly cleaned and Sam felt OK bringing a still-disoriented Dean inside. Led by Sam, and leaned up against the sink basin, Dean allowed himself to be towelled off after generous amount of cold water was splashed on his face. The fact that Dean wasn't fighting this was a testament to how banged up he was.

Inside the service station's Quicky Mart, Amber was getting three coffees...one very, very sweet. Sam had told her to also get the biggest bottle of Gatorade she could find. He'd said it was a weird combination, but that right now Dean's body needed the stimulation of caffeine, sugar and electrolytes to balance itself out..and no sleeping. This was interstate first aid, hunter-style. Making a mental note to remember and write down the 'recipe' in case she ever needed it in the future, Amber waited patiently as the cashier rang up her items. The cashier eyed Amber a bit askance, what with her banged up appearance and all this coffee and Gatorade, it was just too odd. Amber, not knowing quite what to say, didn't say anything.

She needed to get cleaned up too, but was anxious to see how Dean was before she attempted to scrub any dried blood off of her. Her own bumps and cuts had already vanished. Yet another thing that her powers had sprang on her that day. Amber was still in awe of how her body healed so insticintly and so completely. Deciding she would happily wait for a hot shower at their motel room, she paid for the coffees and the two bottles of Gatorade, and carefully carried them out to the car.

By the time she walked to the Impala, Sam had already helped Dean inside. Amber offered their banged up brother his steaming paper cup and watched him taking his first tentative sip. With his free hand he extended it out and she handed him one of the bottles of Gatorade. He'd taken it without even batting an eye. Clearly, this was a therapeutic combination of Quicky Mart drinks that had mended him in the past. She handed Sam his coffee cup before sliding inside the Impala's back seat and taking a sip of her own black coffee. Her gaze traveled to Dean, who sat silent staring ahead with a distant expression. This was unnerving to see her formidable older brother in such a weakened state. She wondered if his eyes were even focused enough to see? Then she relaxed into the seat.

Securing her own cup in the backseat holder, Amber leaned her head against the cold window just as Sam got behind the wheel and started the car. Her thoughts trailed to the incredulity of this moment. They had solved a case,  _her first case no less;_  they had made it in time to save Magda and Elijah. And yet... at this very moment instead of the exhilaration she was expecting...she only felt exhausted and freaked out. She wondered if every case her brothers worked carried all this worry, weight, and insecurity.  _And this fear of whether they'd all make it out alive._

Despite her efforts to remain awake, her eyes fluttered shut. The last image preserved in her brain, just before she slipped into a deep slumber, was that of Magda staring at her with her distant, hurt eyes.

The slight shake on her shoulder made her jerk awake with a sharp inhale. Her eyes squinted as they focused on Sam's face leaning over her.

"We're at the motel, Amb."

"Where's Dean?" She asked glancing around, disoriented from the short but deep nap.

"Already inside. C'mon." Gently grabbing her by her upper arm, Sam helped Amber out of the backseat to standing. Their eyes met and the communication was one of silent understanding, like between comrades who've survived an intense walking oblivion, this was Amber's seminal experience of emotional survival for hunters. First, you continue to exist.

When she stepped into the room, Dean had just exited the small bathroom. His gaze looked sharper and some of the color had returned to his cheeks. Freshly showered, and in clean clothes, he offered a hint of a smile to his sister. "You look like crap," he informed her as he moved towards the kitchen table.

Amber couldn't help but smile as she shook her head and walked to the couch that served as her bed. "Not all of us spent the night sleeping, princess," she quipped humorously. His short laugh made her feel a bit more at ease as she rummaged in her backpack for clean clothes and her toiletries. Leaving her brothers alone she headed for a much needed shower.

Steam filled the motel room as Amber opened the bathroom door. She'd taken her sweet time with that shower. It had felt so good to let her mind go blank as she moved through the reassuring routine. She'd gone through the routine motions of scrubbing her body, shampooing her hair slowly,  _almost ceremoniously_ , and then simply standing below the steady hot stream of water...reassuringly routine acts of self care. The world could turn upside down, but these little acts of order...well..set the world back on its axis. Now, breathing in the cooler air of the room as the steam escaped around her, this was the finish line and back to the other room, back to the other world. As she walked towards the couch and the small kitchenette, the scent hit her... _and it was wonderful!_

"Hey Amb...come eat." Apparently Sam had slipped out during her shower and brought back food.  _Glorious food._

Sitting at the tiny motel table, Dean was just taking another bite of what appeared to be an overstuffed, ridiculously messy sandwich...which was dripping. Amber could see the ends of bacon peaking out, and from somewhere inside this breakfast monstrosity, there was a sausage patty with melting cheese and caramelized onions. There were already glops of something on his clean jeans...and he hadn't noticed. Reflecting on how deplete she felt at that moment, Amber didn't faulty him for not caring.

Watching Amber still starting at Dean's table manners, Sam just chuckled. "Amb, I bought you a pancake breakfast. They had a small convenience store section so I bought a small jar of Nutella for you. I think this was your first breakfast in the bunker, right?"

Smile growing wide with the memory...now seemingly so long ago...Amber's eyes sparkled. "Yeah, I think it was my first breakfast with you guys. How'd you remember? I'd forgotten myself?"

Dean, still chewing a mouthful of sandwich, interjected, "No wonder his head's so big. Sam observes and remembers  _everything_ , kid. As long as he uses it for good, he'll remember your favorite food...or he'll remember your worst fuck up. Doesn't matter, he'll remember. Freaking awesome when he remembers your favorite food, though." Dean kept talking and eating in the manner of the uncouth. Yes, it was disgusting yet comical... _and charming after a fashion._

Sam opted not to comment as he sat down with his own styrofoam box in front of him, setting another to his left, indicating that Amber should come sit down, too. Pulling out the wooden chair, Amber settled herself down and scooted her chair in to fit as best as it could around a manspreading Dean lost in his breakfast. Opening her box, the aroma of delicious pancakes wafted up to her nose. In front of her was placed a virgin bottle of Nutella, plastic knife laid across the lid. Amber eyed this and looked up at smiling Sam. Wrapping his large hands around this small jar, a warmed-eyed Sam opened it in one small twist and offering it to her, indicating that she should take the first scoop. Grabbing hold of this with her own hands, Amber dug out a lump the size of a golf ball, spreading it generously over the top pancake. Not caring, she then rolled it up, and started eating it from the closest end. Enjoying his sister's enthusiasm, a watchful Sam took a bite of his own egg-white omelet. The chives and white cheddar he'd asked for were aromatic and his own senses felt renewed as he ate. Somewhere on the table was a fresh french roll with butter that he'd end his meal with. He still needed a shower...and that would come. Then he would sleep...and at that moment, all felt right with the world.

Not particularly fond of breaking the comfortable silence, Sam turned to Amber and once he swallowed his mouthful asked, "How are you holding up?"

Eyes darting to her brothers momentarily before turning them back to her breakfast, she shrugged. Such a simple question and yet no simple answer to offer. "I'm alright. It was intense."

"Sam told me you went all Punisher on that bitch," Dean said with his mouth half-full.

Amber remained silent for a while before stealing a glance at them. "I wanted… I really, really wanted to hurt her… To kill her," she said quietly. She looked from one man to the other scanning for any indication of fear, condemn, or disappointment. She found only worry.

Letting his fork down Sam extended a hand to clasp her shoulder, "That wasn't you. That's your power. Your progress has been amazing and your control has improved a lot, but you're still very new at this, Amber. You can't expect to be able to have complete clarity when you're full on in defensive, or in this case, offensive mode," he attempted to explain. He wasn't completely sure himself. How could he be? But the thought made sense. The fact that she was able to listen to him and stop when he asked her to, meant she was somewhere in there even when the Nephilim nature took the wheel. When the girl only nodded Sam cleared his throat before asking his next question. "What about your dream? Your… Your vision? Do you remember how it came to you? Were you asleep? Awake?"

Amber leaned back in her chair as she tried to recall. "I was drifting off. I remember seeing my mom, like in a dream and then she was gone all of a sudden and I was in the basement, watching Gail torturing Magda."

Sam's eyebrows furrowed as he nodded. "Any headache before it happened? Or after? When you woke up?"

Amber's eyes squinted with worry as she shook her head. No. It was… Just like a dream. The way it came to me at least… But it was more real. Like… Like I knew I wasn't dreaming…" At Sam's concerned expression she darted her eyes at Dean, who was also watching his brother solemnly. Feeling even more uneasily she bit her bottom lip and took a couple of silent seconds. "Uh, guys? What's going on? I'm telling you I wanted to kill Gail and you're all jumpy and freaked out over a vision or dream or whatever the hell that was?"

"Well…" Sam attempted to explain but was cut off by Dean.

"No. The kid's right, Sammy. I know what you're thinking, but that's not it, ok? That's not it. Think logically. He's gone. We ended him. Amber's a Nephilim. This has nothing to do with yellow-eyes."

Amber turned to Dean with wrinkled brow. "What? What are you two on about?"

Dean shook his head dismissively. "Nothing important at the moment. Things that happened in the past." Turning back to their brother he repeated, "In the past, Sam."

Nodding Sam let out a strained breath before turning to Amber, "I promise I'll tell you the story at some point. But Dean's right. Not important right now."

"But if it has to do with my visions…"

"It hasn't. It had to do with  _my_ visions. Visions I haven't had in many years and won't ever have again. That's a story for another time. Alright?"

The almost pleading edge on Sam's tone made Amber nod slowly. She managed to hold her tongue and not probe any further. Her mind traveled to Sam's uneasiness with the demon talk the previous morning and wondered if it was all somehow connected.

"Now, about today," Dean said in a strong tone as he closed the now empty container of his breakfast. "You freaking rocked, kid. You followed orders, you kept your calm, and even when both me and Sam managed to get knocked out and caught, you still held your own and pretty much saved the day."

Amber's eyes glinted at the praise and she looked at Dean through a wide little wrinkles at the corners of her eyes really lit up her face. Amber's smile was endearing and it lifted Dean's heart. This was his first time really seeing her smile. Sam glanced at Amber's happy face and then at Dean's, his own, quiet smile taking in this truce of warring factions. He hoped it would become a common sight.

"When Abraham spotted me in the stables I remember freaking out. Thinking of what was going on inside, and who would have your back if something happened to Dean as well. When I saw you coming in the kitchen, helping Magda, attacking Gail… You really were amazing, Amber. I don't know how last night would have ended if you weren't there."

Smile widening even further and a light blush coloring her cheeks Amber nodded pleased. "Thanks, guys. I'm glad you were there too. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't able to snap me out of that power surge," she added her smile fading. It was like I just snapped and it wasn't even me doing all of that."

"It doesn't matter. That's why we never hunt alone. Even seasoned hunters should not hunt alone. Take what happened yesterday. Out of the three of us you were the only one left standing and able to act. Able to help. That's the most important lesson this case can teach you. You never hunt alone, you always have a backup," Sam said in a serious tone.

"Ya know, if you count out the current headache, I really liked yesterday's hunt. No ugly ghost, no beast, lots of sleep, and I didn't have to raise a single finger." The short laugh that his words elicited from Amber made Dean's grin widen. He was so proud of her. "But yeah. No kidding, Amb, you saved the day and worked amazingly. Good job kid."

Relaxing in the motel room later that day, Dean lazily flipped through the channels. They'd all gotten some sleep, some food and more sleep. Sam and Amber were still out walking and talking. Just then an in-room commercial for Casa Erotica flashed across the screen. Without thinking Dean clicked on the channel. Thinking that he now had a little sister to shield from his single male lifestyle, he walked to the door and locked it.

 

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Sam and Amber had returned to the room with a calm aura surrounding them. Dean mused to himself that they must have had a good talk. He found himself a little jealous...and it surprised him.

Just then the ringing of his phone broke the warm silence that followed his words. Sam and Amber turned their attention to their half-eaten breakfasts as Dean rose from his chair and strode to his bedside table, where his phone had been left charging.

"Yeah," he sent into the receiver. His relaxed expression gave way to his worried tense one in less than a second. Eyebrows knitted together and lips parted slightly at the crying voice on the other side of the line. "Jody?" Dean kept his body turned away from the others, focusing on his friend's voice. "Calm down Jody. Asa's dead? When? I'm sorry. Yeah,of course we'll come, we're three hours away. See you tonight."

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The sound of leaves rustling, cracking, and crunching under worn hiking boots broke the silence of the crisp November morning. There was the scent of moisture in the air, and that light, sweet scent of fallen leaves. A small flock of cardinals, spread about on the power lines above the street, reminded him of notes on a pentagram. Notes scribbled down in red ink on straight black lines. As his steps brought him closer the birds fluttered away. Light blue eyes followed the tiny red figures till they vanished into the yellow foliage of a cluster of Elm trees.

The young man paused, adjusted the metallic ladder that was tucked under his left arm, and turned his gaze to the clouded sky. Resuming his walk he headed for the back of the ranch-style house. After a few seconds of silent contemplation he decided against knocking on the door. Instead, he spotted the nearest downspout and proceeded to prop up the ladder against the edge of the roof near it. Less than two minutes later, he was kneeling on the rather unstable roof tiles rummaging in his toolbox.

"Kyle?"

At the call of his name he turned and offered a small smile to the woman standing a few feet below. "Hey, Mrs. Mills," he waved his right gloved hand.

The woman, still in her plaid cotton pajamas, crossed her arms over her chest and looked up at him surprised. "Honey, it's Saturday! I know you offered to help with the gutters but you didn't have to spoil your weekend to do so!"

"It's gonna take a while, Mrs. Mills," Kyle said as he went from kneeling to sitting on the roof. "And it's supposed to pour buckets later today. Trust me, you want these gutters cleaned out before the rain starts," he said, pointing with his plastic rake to the dark clouds above them.

Jody's expression changing from irritated to touched. She smiled up at him gratefully. "Oh, Kyle! That's so sweet of you. Thank you for being so considerate. I appreciate you offering to do this, handsome."

Offering a lopsided smirk his only answer was, "We're hunters, Mrs. Mills. I'm sure you'll get to repay the favor at some point."

The woman chuckled heartily at that. "You call me Mrs. Mills one more time and you won't live long enough to ask that favor back!"

His turn to chuckle, Kyle shook his head. "Sorry, Jody," he apologized emphasizing the woman's first name. "I'll be as quiet as possible and try not to disturb the girls."

Waving a dismissing hand the woman answered, "Make all the racket you need. The girls won't be home till Monday."

Head jerking up he managed to keep his voice from sounding irritated. "How come?"

"They're visiting some friends in Rapid City," the woman retorted as she made her way back to the house. "How does coffee sound?"

"Great," Kyle called over his shoulder. "Fucking great," he mumbled angrily, in a dark tone, low and deep. Guarding his private frustration, he heard the door closing behind Jody as she entered the house. Exhaling through his nose, he grabbed a plastic bag from the toolbox. Using more force than necessary, he shoved inside the first fistful of leaves and twigs that littered the gutter in front of him. He struggled to keep his irritation over the situation under control. It wasn't the end of the world. He could still go ahead with his plan on Monday. Maybe it was for the best. With that thought as his sole consolation he returned his attention to the disgusting task at hand.

Jody made quick work of filling the coffee maker with water and a generous amount of coffee, before heading to her room while it brewed. She changed in a khaki zip-up sweater and a pair of comfortable old jeans. After running a comb through her short hair she slipped on a pair of worn sneakers. Heading back to the kitchen, she filled two travel coffee mugs with the steaming coffee and walked out of the house from the kitchen's back door.

She walked briskly to the ladder and started climbing it. She was half way up when her cell phone started ringing. With each hand carrying a mug, while also holding on the edge of the ladder, the woman called, "Kyle, I need a hand here!"

Seconds later a crouched Kyle moved close to the ladder's top, "What's up?"

"Just grab your coffee," Jody said offering the mug.

Kyle reached and took the offered steel mug from her and watched as she struggled to reach inside her pocket for the ringing cell. "Uhm, maybe get down first?" He suggested looking at the wobbling ladder.

Never acknowledging his comment the woman finally managed to pick up the call. "Y'ello?"

Her face paling, instantly draining of all blood, caught the young man's attention. Wearing a worried expression he stared at her from his own spot on the roof, "Jody?"

"How did it happen?" The woman asked in a hushed tone, hardly aware of the ladder she was clinging to.

"Oh, God," she said as her eyes welled up. "Oh, God," she repeated quietly. Jody's entire body posture shifted to one of inner collapse. Sniffling and closing her eyes momentarily she spoke into the phone, voice choked and tight, "Thank you for calling. I'll see you tonight at the wake."

"Wake?" Kyle asked quietly.

"Asa. Asa Fox," the woman said through a shaky breath.

Eyebrows drawing together in shock Kyle muttered, "Fox Mulder?"

After the briefest nod Jody attempted to reach for her phone again. "I need to… I need to call…"

"You need to get off the ladder first," Kyle cut her off.

Returning her thoughts to present, Still disoriented, her mind cleared the smallest bit to see the wisdom of this. "Right. Yeah…". Gripping the rungs, one hand free and one still holding her own coffee, she cautiously made her way down the metallic steps. Midway, she decided that letting the mug fall to the grass below was just good sense. There was more in the coffee pot.

Meeting solid ground, Kyle watched her take a couple of steps away from the ladder before taking her phone out again.

"Dean?" Kyle heard her speaking into the receiver. "It's Asa… He's… He's gone." Jody wept into the phone and was unconsolable for a minute. Then, taking a deep breath Jody pulled herself together. Trying to deliver this news she centered her emotions and this time spoke more clearly into the phone. "I just heard- Demon- Come over here first. We can go together- Yeah. I'll have dinner waiting. Bye."

Kyle watched as the woman slowly walked back into the house without another word to him. His eyes turned to gaze at the cloudy sky. As the dull rumble of thunder sounded from somewhere far away Kyle simply smiled. Monday didn't matter any more.

 

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	11. For Whom The Bell Tolls

 

 **A/N:** Hello people! As always a big thank you to all of you who reviewed the last two chapters and a warm welcome to all our new readers who have followed and favorited our story. We appreciate the feedback and suggestions from **huhchuh** and **Cherryfran**. _Keep it coming guys!_

 

Asa Fox’s wake brings Dean, Sam, Amber, Jody, Kyle, Alex and Claire together. An unexpected event changes things for Amber and Kyle...and the brothers are not happy. 

 

 ** _WE SEEK REVIEWS LIKE A DRUG!_** Please guys, make both of us happy with some feedback. We’d both love to hear from you. Reviews inspire us, they make us feel good, they can lead to wonderful ideas! _And...they produce more stories for you to read._  

  
Again, we’ve collectively invested 30+ hours. We had a lot of fun with this chapter and appreciated each other’s creativity and inspired twists. Our collaborative work just gets better and better. Can you please give us just a few minutes to let us know how you think we’re doing? It’s only a little of your time and we just gave you our creativity and hard work. _A little love is always appreciated._  

 

 **FYI:** We’re also open to ideas / requests as long as they can be incorporated in the story and won’t throw the plot off. So, if you have this or that idea or scene you’d like to see don’t hesitate to mention it in a review or a PM. We’ll be happy to write it in the story as long as we can make it work :) 

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Enjoy!**

 

 **Title Credit:** Title of the song: For Whom The Bell Tolls,  by Metallica. (Album: Ride The Lightning, 1984)

 

 

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“OK, thanks, Jody. We’ll be there.” Dean ended the call and turned to a worried-looking Sam. “Jody just got word that Asa Fox is dead.” A thick silence followed this sobering announcement. Having more to convey, Dean continued, “His wake’s tonight at his home. Seems it’s gonna be a full house. Jody’s expecting us for lunch at her place before we head over to the wake.” 

Sam, taken aback by the unexpected news, slowly sat himself down in the nearest chair, his shoulders dropping. Sad eyes looking up at Dean, he asked quietly, “How’d he die?”

“I don’t know. Something about a demon. She didn’t say much, but I expect we’ll find out at the wake.”

And then, in a time-delayed manner, it hit them both…their faces registering the same thought almost simultaneously: Sam spoke it out loud, “How are we gonna explain Amber?!”

Amber, listening to this all, waited for her brothers to explain the situation. She remained waiting in the rigid silence for almost a whole minute...before she had to ask, “Who’s Asa Fox? And who’s Jody?” Seeing their faces dropping even more and their tense stance, she reluctantly prompted, “Guys?”

Beginning to slowly pace about the room, absentmindedly rubbing his chin, Dean filled her in, “Fellow hunters. Asa… He’s one of those legendary guys. Famous across most states in our circles. Good man too. Jody… You’ll meet her. Great lady. Works cases around Sioux Falls Falls and has taken in… Claire.” 

“Who’s Claire?” Amber asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to keep track of all the new information and names.

Eyes darting to Sam for help, Dean remained silent. Now leaning against the doorframe he let his gaze drift unfocused out the window into the motel’s parking lot. Arms folded across his chest and legs crossed as he stood, Dean felt himself pulling inward as if punched in the gut. Asa’s death was a deep blow. Seeing that his brother was reeling, Sam attempted to answer Amber’s question, his own voice becoming slightly thick with emotion. He felt the sudden loss, too.They might not have known the man well, but the death of a hunter was always a shocking and sobering experience. A grim reminder of what was in store for all of them.  Even the most seasoned and talented ones of them all. Clearing his throat, Sam continued, “You know how angels can get inside humans, using their bodies as vessels?” At her nod and confused expression, Sam went on, “Claire is Castiel’s vessel’s daughter.”

This was shocking and Amber, mouth dipping open, looked gobsmacked. Getting it together, she composed her chaotic thoughts in an effort to formulate a basic question. After a moment, the obvious needed answering.  “So, Castiel has a daughter?”

 “No, not Castiel, but Castiel’s vessel,” Sam clarified patiently.

 “How do you mean? How is that even...”  A puzzled look on her face, Amber tilted her head to the side, her mouth now compressed into a line of concentration. Pulling himself mentally back into the room, turning to face them both, Dean stepped back in to continue this explanation. As Dean spoke, he remained leaning against the doorframe looking out the window, an unreadable expression on his face as he spoke. 

“The body you see him in is the body of a human just like me or Sam. He was an ordinary guy with a job, and a house, and a kid: Claire was his daughter... When Cas entered his body and took over his life… Claire had nowhere to go. The system got her and a while back we managed to get to her. We brought her to Jody who agreed to take her in. Jody was already taking care of another girl we saved in a hunt. Her name’s Alex,” Dean explained still staring out the window. Pausing long enough to glance back at his sister and seeing the look of complete shock and her appalled expression, he realized this could drag for a while. Standing away from the doorframe, pulling himself to the present, Dean clapped his hands together with a tiny rubbing of his palms, signaling that they were moving on from this topic. “Look, I know it’s a lot of information and a long story,  but we need to get going. I’ll go check us out and you two can start packing up, alright?”

Before the oldest Winchester had the chance to walk out, Sam strode near him and leaning close to his  brother’s ear whispered, “I think we need to keep Amber out of sight. Do you think we could leave her at Jody’s with Clair and Alex while we go to the wake?”

 Dean, listened as his thoughts churned through his mind...Asa’s death, Jody, the girls…  Re-emerging from his thoughts to see Sam’s questioning face, his brother's words finally registered with him. He thought over this idea, right hand absentmindedly stroking his chin, again. It was far from ideal. Claire and Amber together sounded to him almost ominous. But Alex was a down-to-earth girl. Responsible. And considering the alternative of taking their sister to the wake... “Yeah, I think this is best. But, what the hell are we going to tell Jody? _Hey, we have this teenage girl we live with now and can we park her with your girls for a day?_ Sam, this sounds so creepy. She’s going to ask questions. _I would._ ” 

Sam, contemplating this obvious issue, had a thought, “Dean, between the two of us Amber looks the most like you.”

 “And what's your point, Sammy?” Dean asked impatiently.

An exasperated Sam just looked at him in that way that made him feel like the dullest knife in the drawer. Inclining his head towards Dean, Sam continued, “Dean, in all honesty, there's a high probability that you have children out in the world you don’t know about. It’s probably true for both of us. But...we could pass Amber off as your daughter that you’ve reconnected with and who’s now living with us. You certainly act like a dad towards her.” 

 Dean listened to this...and it was a strange mix of emotions. Did he have a child out there somewhere? _How did he even feel about this? And did he really act like a dad to Amber?_ Sam saw the light go on in Dean’s mind and decided to pace with him. “So, assuming she’s with you because she has nowhere else to go, it just makes sense that she’d be with us. And hunters aren’t new to the long-lost love child thing. If anything, talk will be that it’s a miracle that _you’ve only got one_.” 

Dean remained silent as he tried to find holes in Sam’s stories. He mentally to put himself in the shoes of a random person hearing about this for the first time. And he had to admit...this made some sense.  

With the two brothers deeply engrossed in their whispered dialogue, Amber felt intentionally excluded. This always meant there was something bigger that they were trying to keep from her. Feeling her temper peaking out, annoyed with their secrecy, she walked up to their scrum and got within earshot of her brothers. 

“Anything you’d like to share?” she asked pointedly. Sam and Dean keeping things from her combined with Castiel and Claire’s story, left her feeling shaken and uneasy. She had little time to register or think over everything she had just learned, or what it meant. But, one thing was certain,Castiel was an even bigger prick than she thought he was. 

Realizing they had an audience, Dean and Sam broke apart and looked at Amber. Dean felt completely befuddled with the situation. Adult or not, he felt like a kid sitting at the grown up’s table...completely lost. Sam saw this and decided to take the lead. “Amber, keeping you hidden is still our best course of action. Even keeping you hidden from other hunters will be best. We're headed to Jody’s as soon as we leave here and we want you to stay at her place with Alex and Claire. They’re about your age, so it should be good.”  

Amber, very sure how she felt about being left out, put a hand on her hip and her eyes grew steely. Her face frowned and her lips pursed into a thin line, displeasure evident. From her lowered eyebrows and narrowed eyes, to her clenched jaw and the steel glint of her gaze,  her body language practically screamed anger. Sam and Dean instantly knew they had a fight on their hands.  “So all of a sudden it’s safer to not be with you two? It’s safer to be home alone with two random, underage girls? What am I? A kid you get to park in a playdate? What if I want to come with?” 

Amber’s tone and attitude immediately triggering his own, Dean’s response came out sharp and warning, “Listen here, if we’re going to have an issue with you following orders again, you and I are going to have a problem. Do you understand my meaning?”

Amber’s eyes narrowed angrily as her arms folded in front of her chest. _Geez...did he always have to lead in with this same threat!_   _Chin upwards defiantly, she took on what Sam had begun to call her Bantamweight fighting stance._ When she retorted, the volume of her voice rose significantly. “Dean, why do I always have to “ _sit this one out”_ when it comes to other people? I’m getting real tired of this. What’s the point of playing by your rules when you keep locking me away whenever it’s inconvenient to explain who I am? Is this how it’s gonna be? I’m ok to be dragged along to face ghosts, beasts, or lunatics during hunts, but not normal people?” Amber stood tall, shoulders squared and rotated back, her hands clenched into fists and held rigid by her side. 

For split second Sam found that Amber reminded him of small dog he once saw, a terrier of some kind, which had attacked a huge German shepherd. The German Shepherd hadn’t even provoked him, had merely walked by with his owner, while on his lead. This much smaller dog had growled, bristling with anger, and attacked the much larger one. It had been loud and kind of scary for Sam's eight-year old self.  It lasted  only a few seconds before the Shepherd's owner had kicked the terrier away and pulled his larger dog to safety, but Sam always remembered this because he was positive the smaller dog would’ve won. For all of her 5’3”, Amber had the same physical attitude of that terrier.

Terrier impression front-and-center, Sam remained watching his siblings, unsure of whether he should intervene or not. He could understand Amber’s feelings on this. He could get how she was sick of being locked up, hidden from the world. Dean, on the other hand, had already jumped into full-blown worried and protective mode. A mode that usually translated into barked orders and no-shit attitude. Their sister, fighting tooth-and-nail, was enough to ignite a raging deathmatch. _It was always the same with these two._

Taking in a deep breath Dean tried hard to rein in his temper, reminding himself to be the adult.  Shifting his weight, he ran his hand down his face, covering his mouth, angry eyes warring with his desire to lay down the hammer on this back-talking child, while at the same time knowing she had a point. It was a self aware moment as he controlled himself,  knowing  how easily her defiance and arguing got to him. 

He also knew how his own curt orders got to her. And...they were tight on time. Lowering his hand from his mouth, Dean raised it, extending his arm towards their the hallway leading to their bedrooms, his palm extended flat making his point. “Amber, we don’t have time for this right now. We need to leave. We need to be out of here in fifteen minutes in order to get to Jody's in time. Just... _please_...go pack, will ya?” His voice softening as he finished this order…his extended arm lowering a bit, but still aimed in the direction of their beds. Remembering his numerous discussions with Sam over the last month, he realized that he needed to be kinder, or at the very least less demanding, if they were going to have a decent ride together over the next couple of hours. In an attempt to be kinder, he added, “Amb, just please…”. Amber stood in place, the vibration of her anger slightly deescalating at Dean’s softening of his hardness.  Shaking his head, Dean headed out of the room without another word.

Amber was left to watch him walking out of the room and closing the door behind him, before she had the chance to retort. “Unbelievable,” she mumbled angrily as she moved towards the couch she’d been sleeping on. Frustrated with the way he had just brushed her off, she pulled out her duffel bag and angrily started shoving in everything she could get her hands on.

Sam watched her for a few seconds before following Dean out of the room. Once he caught up with him a few feet from the reception desk he called out,  “Way to go Dean.” 

“Sammy, don’t start. Just don’t start," his brother groaned.

 “Dean, this is a lot for anyone to take in all at once. And for Amber...I can see how she’d feel left out. You and dad did this to me all the time _and I hated it!_ ”

Rolling his eyes in a manner even Amber would envy, Dean turned to his brother with a hard expression. “Yeah, I get it, Sam, but this is not about you! Plus, you weren’t a _Nephilim_. How are we supposed to keep her safe _AND_ explain her being with us? Can’t  you just see it, _‘Those Winchester Boys are robbing the cradle and they have their own groupy  in tow.’_ Yeah right! That would go down real inconspicuously!  _I’m creeping myself out here_.” Dean’s body gave an involuntary shudder that worked its way uphill, ending in his shoulders and finally in his head. Giving a final shake, as if to rid his mind of the disgusting thought, Dean added, “It’s a big risk to let her tag along. It will make people ask questions and it’ll draw attention!” 

Not having an answer to his valid point, Sam just looked at his brother and shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah well, it doesn't matter right now. Let's discuss this on the way. We’ll figure this out.” Reaching out, Sam used the back of his hand to reassuringly tap Dean’s shoulder. It was a gesture of solidarity. Sam calmed his own voice as he continued. “We have some time and I can call Jody to kind of set things in motion, so when we arrive it will be less of a shock to her and the girls and fewer questions that Amber has to face. Just don’t make this harder than it already is. She won’t like that she’ll stay behind, but she’ll deal with it sooner or later. Don’t bark back at her attitude. You’ll only make it worse.”   

“Fine,” Dean said in a tired tone. “Let me go pay. Go help Amber pack and start thinking about what we're gonna tell Jody.” 

 

* * *

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* * *

 

  


Rolling the backseat window up and down, causing the wind to whip around and slap Dean in the face, was a passive form of torture Amber played at. The brothers had been quiet since they’d all piled into the Impala and hit the road. It was the fourth time Amber had rolled the window up and down and Sam decided he needed to intervene. 

“Amber, what are you doing?”  

“Whatever do you mean, Sam?”, was the sarcastically poisoned tone that dripped in Amber’s response. 

Sam had wondered how long it would last. She’d been so good over the last couple of days, so it was bound to happen at some point or another. And now...she was going there with Dean.

Turning in the front passenger-side seat, Sam leveled her with a steely look that stopped Amber cold. “Do you recall my promise to you?”  His facial expression covered in that unreadable mask. _It was THE look_. 

Amber felt that familiar uncomfortable wave of tingling pass over her backside and her heart seized up, feeling her stomach dropping to her feet. Yes, she recalled his promise to her. _Damn!_

Sitting back and pulling her hands into her lap, Amber decided it was best to stop this game. Feeling eyes on her, she looked up and saw an angry Dean looking back at her in the rearview mirror. Shoulders drooping and eyes darting away, she gave in. 

Dean was impressed with how quickly she shaped up after Sam’s simple question. Shooting a sideways glance at his brother he wondered what Sam could’ve promised that yielded such an immediate behavior adjustment. _Τhis was a new side of Sam_. Deciding he didn’t need to probe, since the situation was handled, he focused his eyes on the road and let out a quiet sigh of frustration. _Amber had managed, yet again, to aggravate him without even uttering a single word._

Judging this was as good a time as any to start their discussion, Sam took the lead. “I’ve been thinking this over and I believe I have an idea of how we’re gonna explain Amber being with us. It’s a cover that we can use for Jody and the girls today and in any future encounter with someone who knows us and asks questions. Now...all that I ask is that you two _hear me out_ , OK? Can you _both_ do this?” 

Dean and Amber both heard Sam’s attempt to rein them in and move the situation forward...to manage them both. It was implied that they needed managing and neither wanted to acknowledge this.

Sam, reading this in their silence and annoyed looks, continued shaking his head. “You two are annoyingly alike and this is exactly my point: I think we can pass Amber off as your daughter, Dean. It will make sense. It's not exactly like you’ve been a monk. In fact, you’ve got quite the reputation in our circles of being a… uh… Ladies man, so it’s plausible enough that it won’t arouse suspicion. The important thing is to keep everyone from thinking Amber could really be our sister. Not with the rumor about dad and an angel out there.”

  It felt weird for her to think of Dean in this way, but despite the unwieldy nature of this reference, _Amber’s interest was piqued with these details of Dean’s sexual adventures. However the strangeness of it, this was still good ammunition should she need it later._

Awkward silence filled the car. This was a whole new level of weird to add into their relationship. Sam continued his persuasive argument. “Dean, how else do you think we can explain your and Amber’s strong resemblance? And Amber, you already act like Dean’s your least favorite person, so you've got the rebellious kid act down pat. Anyone who hears you two arguing will assume you are father and daughter. You’re both kind of already there. So, unless one of you has a better idea... ” 

Amber thought about this. It made sense, but it still felt so weird. _Dean as dad?_ She mulled Sam’s words over. Even though she didn’t particularly like it, she did realize how right Sam was. Telling people she was Dean’s daughter wouldn’t raise too many questions. Yes, it  would _still_ raise questions, but of a type that people would've already put together on their own. They’d have figured out that Dean planted a seed in the forest and here was a branch of the old Winchester family tree. And most importantly, it would shut people up about a nephilim. And if it made them uncomfortable enough, they’d just gossip, spread whatever spin they intentionally put on their story, and fill in the blanks on their own. Hunters gossiped like old women after all. “Fine,” she said with as much attitude as she dared to use. “Does that mean I have to call him dad?”

Hearing himself referred to by this term caught Dean by the nutsack. He swallowed with some difficulty and felt an unexpected mix of emotions rushing through him. Despite having practically being the one who raised Sam, the weight of the word, and the responsibility it carried, shocked him to his very core. At the same time warmth, tenderness, and raw protectiveness all rushed to the surface. None of which _he ever expected to associate with this!_

“I’m pretty sure calling him Dean will be just fine. Most teens call their parents by their first names just to piss them off anyway,” Sam answered with a small nostalgic grin, as he remembered how crazy it drove their old man when he called him John. He had recognized both Dean’s and Amber’s uneasiness with the situation and despite the need for this to look real, he didn’t want them to lose whatever sense of balance they had just managed to find in their brother-sister relationship. Plus, considering Dean supposedly only just found out about his ‘daughter’, nobody would expect Amber to call him dad already. 

“Let’s go with that, then,” Dean agreed. He kept his stare ahead on the road and put a considerable effort into keeping his voice as neutral as possible. This whole conversation, this plan, had deeply shaken him and he was still trying to get a grip of his emotions and thoughts, his mind involuntarily traveled to Ben. He hadn’t thought of the possibility of having a kid since he’d met the kid, nine years ago. The painful memories of having to leave him and Lisa, the knowledge that they wouldn’t recognize him now, even if they met him at the street and that they were safer and happier away from him, made his insides churn painfully. Dean felt himself starting to tear up, heart clenching...and it angered him. He faked dust in his eyes and using his left hand, wiped his eyes clear of the tears. _Dammit...I can’t deal with all of this right now._ Mastering his thoughts he turned his face into a hard mask _._ Keeping his eyes steady on the road he used every ounce of willpower he possessed in order to keep some sort of hold on his emotional reaction.  

Sam felt the shift in his brother. His suddenly tense shoulders, his hand wiping his face, whitened knuckles on the steering wheel... Realising where his thoughts had most likely taken him, he suddenly felt like an idiot. Not that they had any other options. Had he thought of the impact this would have on his brother a bit earlier though, he’d try to buy him some more time to come to terms with the situation. Knowing full well that attracting attention to his current state would be the last thing Dean wanted, Sam simply asked, “Shall I call Jody then?” 

“What for?” Amber questioned alarmed, scooting a bit forward in her seat. 

“Prepare the ground. Let her know she’s expecting you as well…who you supposedly are,” Sam explained turning slightly in his seat to make eye contact with Amber.

“Don’t do that! That will give her time to think this over! We don’t want that! If we spring this on her when she opens her door and sees us she’ll have much less time to think things over and ask actual questions. Give her three hours, and all that she’ll do is try to keep her mind busy by mulling the story over.” Amber leveled her gaze with Sam’s. _Honestly, for someone so smart he should’ve thought of this on his own._ “Trust me. I have many years of experience in keeping people from asking questions,” she added. 

Both Dean and Sam considered her words. On the one hand, keeping people off the scent was precisely what they needed to do. But on the other hand...as a friend...just springing Amber on Jody, without the consideration of letting her know they were bringing another person... _who they hoped she’d keep overnight in her home..._ seemed presumptuous and rude and out of character with their friendship. _If they had nothing to hide would they just spring this on her?_

Deciding a third way, a compromise between these two strategies, was needed Sam offered this thought: “What if I call Jody right now and tell her we’re bringing a third person with us, so if she needs to make any adjustments she has some warning. It just seems polite, you know. Then, when we get there, we’ll tell her our story. It’s personal enough that she’ll get why we decided to tell her in person rather than all of it over the phone.” 

“Ok… I guess that’s reasonable,” Amber agreed. 

Dean, half-listening to all of this being decided for him, felt the need to add his two cents. “Amber, if you are supposed to be my daughter, you do realize I will speak to you the way a hunter speaks to his kid, right?” Confused, Amber cocked her head and looked at Dean in the rearview mirror. Her face read confusion tinged with anger. “What I mean is that I will give you orders and I will expect you to follow them...and I’ll do this in front of Jody and her girls. Do you understand what I’m saying here?”

Before Amber had time to form a retort, Sam, frustrated that it was always obedience with Dean, stopped it right there. “Dean, this is bullshit. You don’t have to bark orders at her. J _ody’s α sheriff and she doesn’t even treat her deputies this way, much less her girls._ Why would you be expected to do this with your new-found daughter?”  

“Wait, Jody’s a sheriff AND a hunter?” Amber interrupted, this new bit of information turning her attention away from Dean’s words. This conversation was like getting whiplash in a runaway car careening down a rocky slope.. _.and it was breaking the axles and driveshaft of her mind._

 _The brothers realized they needed to bring her up to speed on Jody and her girls...and this was going to be a whole other conversation._ “Yes, Jody’s a sheriff we met a while back and she’s helped us out...a lot. Turns out hunting is helpful to her as sheriff and she’s kind of fallen into the hunter’s life while keeping her regular job, too. It’s quite a useful cover when she’s doing research, and she has access to government databases and such.” Sam offered this explanation since it was the best way to bring her up to speed and move this closer to their goal.   

“So, she’s basically a hunter-sheriff that takes in hunt-case orphans?“ Amber asked, her mind jumping to what Sam and Dean had told her earlier about Claire and Alex. 

“Something like that. It’s complicated,” Sam nodded.

 “Are Alex and Claire hunters, too?” Amber was starting to become intrigued by this family hunting business. 

Dean scoffed loudly at that. “Claire thinks she is. In reality, she’s just a pain in the ass. Too smug and careless for her own good. Jody has helped with keeping her alive and training her, though.” 

“And Alex… Well, she’s got some dark history. Gone through a lot. She’s keeping her distance from the supernatural as much as she can,” Sam added.

“What history?” 

“It’s not our place to share that. And honestly, it doesn’t have anything to do with what we’re discussing here. Since you two can’t seem to make a decision without fighting tooth and nail over it, this is my call. You’ll play it father-daughter. There will be no ordering around just for the sake of it,” he glared at Dean while saying that, “and no challenging, disobedience, and disrespect,” he eyed Amber now. “The goal here is for all of us to remain safe and to draw as little attention as possible. Raging fights between the two of you aren’t gonna help our case. Can we all agree we’re seeing this through and act accordingly?” 

Letting out a frustrated breath Amber simply nodded as she stared at the back of Dean’s head. 

“Alright,” the oldest Winchester finally consented after a few silent seconds. 

A brief hiatus in their discussion allowed each to lapse into their private thoughts.

Her eyes drifting outside at the passing landscape, Amber half-listened to her brothers exchanging a few more words, before Sam made the phone call to Jody. Deciding she’d find out more once they got to the woman’s house, she tuned out their conversation. When her thoughts traveled to the sweet moments she’d spent with Dean the day before, she had to make an effort to avoid kicking his seat in frustration. She couldn’t believe how quickly he got her all riled up. Resting her head on the cold window, she took in its comforting coolness. Two hours and forty minutes to go…

 

 

* * *

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* * *

 

 

As the three Winchesters walked towards the white paneled door, Amber ran nervous hands through her hair in an attempt to smooth it out. She then straightened her leather jacket a bit and shoved her hands deep into its pockets. The house looked so normal and...well...ordinary. Amber felt a slight confusion with this considering that a hunter lived here. _Her only experience of a hunter’s “home” being the bunker, this felt so unexpectedly normal._ When Dean pressed the doorbell she unconsciously took a step back and hid behind Sam.

Seconds later the door opened and a woman in her forties appeared on the threshold. Amber studied her as best  she could from behind her brother. For some reason, she didn’t expect her to look like what she did. The salt and pepper hair color was an intense contrast to her youthful pixie haircut. She was dressed in a worn pair of blue jeans and a khaki zip-up sweater, while her face looked a bit pale and her eyes were puffy and red-rimmed. Amber could immediately tell she had spent quite a while crying. The girl briefly wondered if the loss of Asa Fox played a role in how old her face looked at the moment, compared to her otherwise pleasantly youthful appearance. 

“Thanks for coming on such short notice, boys,” she said with a sincere smile as she hugged Dean. 

“Don’t be silly, Jody,” Dean said as he patted her back and broke the embrace. “That’s what friends are for.”

Turning to Sam the woman hugged him next, Sam bending down to her height and embracing her tightly. As her face leaned against Sam’s forearm her gaze fell on Amber for the first time. “And who do we have here?” She asked, her eyes glinting through the puffy lids, a small smile growing.

“Uh, this is Amber. Amber, Jody,” Sam introduced as he took a step to the side. 

“Nice to meet you,” Amber said a bit awkwardly and extended a slender hand. 

Jody took it and her eyes squinted slightly in an assessing manner as she took in her face _. For some reason, this girl looked familiar. “_ You too, honey!” Turning to Dean with her eyebrows knitted as she tried to place where she knew this girl from, her eyes widened as they fell on the oldest Winchester’s face. _Oh god,_ _it all clicked into place._ She opened her mouth to say something and then immediately closed it, eyes turning big and round with the realization. Quickly schooling her expression she held the door wide open and gestured inside. “Come on in.”

The three siblings walked inside. Sam and Dean moved around the house with ease and familiarity, while Amber followed close behind, pulling up the rear. “Lunch is served. Unfortunately, we need to eat quickly and hit the road if we want to make it on time for the wake.”

“The wake’s not here?” Dean asked, his brow creasing. 

“No. Didn’t I tell you that? God, my mind’s been all over the place since I heard… It’s in Emerson, Manitoba,” Jody answered as she walked briskly towards the dining room. 

“Emerson? As in Canada, Emerson?” Sam asked surprised. “I thought Asa was from around here.”

“No, honey. He worked a few cases here, visited every now and then, but he was living up in Canada. It’s only a five-hour drive. If we leave by four we’ll be there with plenty of time ahead of us to pay our respects.”  Her expression darkened as she realized how procedural it all sounded, especially considering who the man was they’d be paying their respects to. Clearing her throat and forcing a smile she indicated the table. “Sam, Amber, have a seat. Dean, come help me with the wine.” The brothers simultaneously had a flashback to their own childhood. _No, they weren’t in trouble...but it felt like they were._ Caught off guard _,_ Dean felt an involuntary flush to his face...it was familiar in a distant way. He had nothing to be embarrassed by, at least at the moment. Nonetheless being called privately into another room in that tone, he felt all of eleven.

Dean glanced at Sam before following the woman into the kitchen. He knew Jody well and he easily guessed what the “ _wine help_ ” entailed. When they stepped inside, Jody leaned back against her kitchen island, crossed her arms over her chest and eyed him expectantly, “Is there something you’ve forgotten to share with me after all these years Dean?” She asked in a clipped tone. 

Dean looked at her surprised. He expected an interrogation over who the girl was, but now he wasn’t sure where this was heading. “Uh, what?” He asked in a reflexive tone, hands diving into his jacket’s pockets, his shoulders hitching higher and his chin dropping slightly. 

Eyebrows raising in a warning fashion Jody raised her index finger in his direction, “Cut the crap, Dean! How long have you been hiding the fact you have a kid?”

Dean’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times as he realized what was happening. _Hearing it from Sam was one thing, but having another person, seeing them together for the first time come to the conclusion, that Amber looked like his own child, was not something he thought possible. Did they really look that much alike? Sure, they shared characteristics, but so did Sam and even their father._ “It’s that obvious?” He asked awkwardly, unsure of what else he could say. 

“Obvious enough,” Jody responded immediately. “Why else wouldn’t you tell me what was going on over the phone? Who’s the mother? How long have you known?” 

“About a month. Her mom and I… It was a one-time-thing. Jane died. Car accident. The kid knew my name and sought me out on her own. I had no idea she even existed until she called me.” The well-rehearsed story flew out of his mouth effortlessly. He followed Sam’s advice and kept it short, simple and with as little detail as possible. “Listen, I know this is a shock to you, but imagine what it’s been like for us… For her. Meeting me, learning about our life, about the supernatural... Try not to ask too many questions, alright? I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable.”

Jody’s expression softened considerably. “Oh, Dean. I can’t imagine how hard this must be on all of you. How are you holding up? Raising a teen out of the blue isn’t a walk in the park. I should know!” 

“Yeah, well… I know that first hand, don’t I? Who’d ya think raised Sammy?” He spoke the words without any bitterness. It was their reality. 

“Dean…” 

“Hey, no chick flick moments,” Dean said a bit more gruffly than needed. “Get that wine and let’s head back in. I’m starving.”

Jody could tell he wasn’t in a sharing mood and let it go for now. No matter how much he tried to look cool about it, she knew there was no way suddenly living with, and taking care of, a teen girl with Winchester genes was a walk in the park. Deciding there was no need to press him for more right now she simply nodded. There would be time to talk later.

Making their way back to the dining room, Dean, holding three wine glasses and Jody a bottle of wine and a bottle of soda, the pair sat at the table, where Sam and Amber looked up at them with a mixture of awkwardness and anticipation. 

“It’s alright, guys. I’m officially updated,” Jody said pleasantly. She placed the soda bottle in front of Amber with a wink. 

Sam watched the woman serving generous portions of meatloaf and mashed potatoes on their plates and only then realized that the table was set with only four plates. “Uh, Jody? Where are the girls?”  Sam asked, a shadow of worry creeping into his voice. 

Filling up her own platelast  and sitting down, Jody waved a hand, “They are visiting some friends in Rapid City. I called them, but they won’t be able to make it in time for the wake. Nor do I want them to drive ten hours on their own,” Jody answered.

“Son of a b…” Dean mumbled his eyes briefly closing and his face grimacing with a mixture of worry and irritation. 

“Dean!” Sam hissed, kicking him under the table. 

Jody glanced from the boys to a suddenly pleased looking Amber and wondered what all of this was about. “What’s wrong?” She asked after swallowing her first bite, regarding all three of them intently. 

“We were hoping that we could leave Amber here with Alex and Claire, while you, Dean, and I went to the wake,” Sam explained, running a hand through his hair. 

“Oh,” was Jody’s only answer. Still unsure of why the boys looked so unsettled Jody pushed her food around on her plate a bit, eyes jumping between the three Winchesters. “Sorry guys. They left yesterday. But she’ll be more than welcome at Asa’s.” A thought suddenly crossing  her mind, she  turned concerned eyes to Amber and asked, “Would you feel uncomfortable coming to a hunter’s funeral, love?”

Amber considered the question carefully. A glance from her brothers was enough to know what they wanted her to say. But with the current turn of events, did it really matter? Deciding the prize was worth the risk, she simply shook her head and offered a sincere smile, before answering Jody confidently, “No. Not at all. I wanted to come, all along. It’s just that… Sam and Dean felt it might be hard on me with all the questions of ‘who’s  the kid?’...”

“And are you?” Jody asked again after a brief glance at the still silent, but annoyed-looking brothers. 

“No. I don’t mind. I tried to tell them, too,” Amber answered sweetly, now completely avoiding both of the boys’ intense gazes.

Sam had to make an effort not to audibly sigh, while Dean eyed their sister warningly as he started rhythmically tapping his fork on the table to vent his frustration. Amber had been careful not to say anything that would give them away, but in her way, she made it really hard for Sam and Dean to find a way and a good enough reason for her to stay behind. _Manipulation of situations was her forte._

Catching Dean’s angry expression, and not wanting to be the cause of any friction between him and Amber, Jody took a sip of her wine before saying, “Well, then I can only see two options,  Amber can either stay here alone today or come along with us. The girls will be back early tomorrow morning, so if you decide it’s better for her to stay she’ll just be alone for the night.”

Feeling a sense of triumph, Amber made sure her face was the perfect picture of innocence as she turned to glance at the brothers expectantly. “I don’t mind spending the day here alone, if you _really_ want me to stay behind. It’ll be nice. I’ll get some space, some _air_ , some alone time...” She knew her tone conveyed nothing but politeness and positive attitude to Jody. But the choice of her words was very careful and deliberate. She knew she was playing with fire, but she also knew that no matter how this allegorical tennis-match ended she’d be a winner. 

“No. There’s no chance she’ll stay here _unsupervised_ ,” Dean immediately shot down this dangerous idea. _Amber alone at Jody’s? Not happening._ Turning fully to face his sister, Dean’s steady gaze conveyed a line-in-the-sand that he dared her to cross...and he saw her lips twitching slightly at his own choice of words. 

Not wanting this to escalate to yet another passive-aggressive fight, and despite his own frustration with Amber, Sam immediately intervened. “Then I guess she’s coming with.”

“Or one of you two could stay behind with her,” Jody offered, sensing their uneasiness. 

“No!” Sam and Dean said at the same time. In this situation, if only one of them appeared at the wake word could get out that they were seperated. This could draw in creatures, especially demons, considering they were after Amber. Sam and Dean together stood far better chance than they did when seperated.

Realizing their strong reaction should appear at the very least weird to Jody, Sam, after a quick glance at his brother, offered a somewhat honest explanation, “Dad never attended funerals or any other hunter gatherings. He said they just invited trouble by luring creatures in. We’ll all be safer if we stick together.” 

Jody nodded her understanding. “I’ll second that. There will be a bunch of hunters gathered at Asa’s. You got nothing to worry about.” Indicating their still untouched plates she added, “Now eat! We don’t have all day!” 

Happily following the prompt, Amber grabbed her fork and ate a generous bite of meatloaf. Her mood considerably improved with the new turn of events, she smiled at Jody warmly, “This tastes so good, Mrs. Mills.”

Offering her warmest smile back, the woman answered, “I can only imagine what these buffoons are feeding you. Well, we’re living barely four hours away. The three of you are always welcome to spend weekends here and eat some nice home-cooked meals.”

“Thanks, Jody,” Sam smiled at her appreciatively, while Dean simply nodded. 

For the better part of the next hour the only sounds in the cozy dining room was that of utensils clanking against plates and pleasant small talk. 

* * *

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* * *

 

 

“Are you sure you don’t want to rest for a bit, love? I don’t mind cleaning up on my own,” Jody reassured the girl for the second time since Amber had voluntarily started cleaning up the table. 

“It’s really fine. Plus, we’ll finish up faster this way,” Amber smiled, putting on the rubber dishwashing gloves that hung over the faucet. The realization of how much easier, and much less gross this particular chore would be with them, she made a mental note  to have the boys buy a few pairs for the bunker. _She briefly wondered if this was one of those ‘mom-things’ neither she nor her brothers had ever been exposed to._ _Were their lives just too complicated to make the mundane and unavoidable chores of their daily life easier?_

Jody watched as Amber ran the water and started washing the dishes with speed and efficiency. Lathering up each glass before placing it in the second basin to rinse while  moving to wash the next thing. Walking to stand next to her, Jody started rinsing and drying. “So… How do you like living with the boys?” She asked casually keeping her eyes focused on the task at hand.

Amber hummed thoughtfully at that. “Interesting. At the very least,” she offered reluctantly. When Jody didn’t try to press her for more she added, “They’re ok. They take good care of me. They can be really, really infuriating at times, but overall they’re alright. Don’t tell them I told you that, though.”

Snorting at the last comment Jody shook her head. “Secret’s safe with me.” Taking a moment to decide how she could phrase what she wanted to tell her next she turned to lock eyes with her, “I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to live with two grown men you didn’t know until last month. Having lost your mom… What I’m trying to say is, if at any point you feel like you need a break, or a female ear to vent to, I’m here. I always will be. I know we just met, but Sam and Dean… They’re kinda like family. And that makes you family, too.”

Amber’s eyes softened at the sweet words. She felt a small knot forming low in her throat and couldn’t understand why. Unbenounced to her, Amber’s face flushed with emotion and Jody realized she’d touched on a deep place. Amber, taking in a deep breath to steady her voice,  nodded and offered a small smile to the woman. “Thanks, Mrs. Mills. This means a lot.”

“It’s Jody. Please don’t make me feel any older than I already do,” Jody joked pleasantly. 

Chuckling lightly Amber continued with the dishes, silent in her own thoughts. Her mind kept jumping to the two girls she had yet to meet... _and she felt a pang of envy._ Had she been adopted by someone like Jody, all those years back, maybe she’d never ended up here today. Maybe she’d be just another normal kid, attending school, spending her days thinking about colleges and boys, instead of worrying when would Satan come for her. This thought brought up a mixture of longing and pain. It would also mean she’d might never know who she really was, that she’d never have met Sam and Dean. Her stomach clenching at these swirling thoughts, she shook her head slightly before turning to Jody. As she started to speak, Amber felt her voice breaking into a sob. She stopped herself, took a breath and tried again.  “How come you took them in?” 

Turning surprised eyes to the girl at the unexpected question and the strong emotions coming from this child, Jody asked, “You mean Alex and Claire?”

“Mhm.”

Gathering her thoughts the woman answered, “They had nobody else. Nowhere to go. How could I not take them in?” was the only answer she managed to come up with. “We’re family now. It doesn’t matter where our blood comes from. It’s all about love and how we stick around for each other. That’s what makes a family.”

Amber finished with the last fork and passed it to Jody’s  as she nodded her head. Turning to look at her with a newly rooted respect for the depth of love this woman had just expressed, she answered, “That’s so right it kinda hurts.” A little tingle shot through her body, standing up the hairs on her arms and scalp. This was a new feeling, the feeling of her body affirming a deep truth. 

Drying the fork and then her hands, the woman turned to lean against the sink and glanced at Sam and Dean who were quietly talking in the living room. Amber followed her movements as she patted the gloves dry with a dishtowel. Her gaze followed Jody’s when the woman spoke again, “Sometimes it hurts, other times it heals, and most of the time it makes you feel all warm inside. That’s what’s it all about.” 

 

* * *

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* * *

 

 

The two-story brick house towered impressively over the small front yard. Even in the darkness of the night, the strong illumination provided by the outdoor lamps accented the deep green color of the ivy that covered most of the brick on the front wall, from the steepled roof down to ground. Through the windows, several figures could be seen moving about the interior, the muffled sound of laughter and chatter giving the impression of a party rather than the wake that was taking place. 

 

The Winchesters and Jody climbed out of the impala and lingered next to it, none of them attempting walking to the front door. This was hunter instinct.

 

Sam and Dean tried to brace for the questions their presence would bring and their minds kept creating scenarios of possible ways today could go wrong. The fact that Amber stood beside them, in a well concealed, but still, defiant mood... _and rather excited over the fact that she got to tag along._..didn't make things any easier.  

 

Jody's face looked strained. She couldn't believe that Asa was dead. She couldn't accept that he'd never knock on her door again out of the blue. That they'd never spend another night together. The sound of a car nearing them, brights on and flooding the front yard with overly-strong yellow light, was jarring and brought her back to reality. Using the back of her palm to wipe away a stray tear, Jody turned around to see who had just parked next to the impala. 

 

As soon as the blonde, young man exited his rather banged up red truck he smiled up at the woman. "I see you beat me here!" 

 

"Just barely! I'm glad you came, Kyle," Jody smiled at him. 

 

"Yeah, well… Didn't know him all that well, but we had met a couple of times, so I thought...what the hell," Kyle answered. His eyes glanced briefly at the three Winchesters. Raising a hand in a somewhat awkward wave to their general direction he offered, "I'm Kyle. Kyle Adler." 

 

"Oh, right! You don't know the boys! These are my good friends, Sam and Dean Winchester," Jody smiled pointing to each brother as she introduced them. "And this is Amber, Dean's daughter."  This last statement rang through the three siblings. _So, this was real now._

 

"Hey," Amber said with a small smile when he turned to her. She felt her heart accelerate slightly upon eye contact. This was not just a handsome guy. He was her very type-of-handsome guy. Dark blonde, longish hair, tied in a small bun at the base of his neck. A light stubble accented the planes of his face, highlighting his strong and prominent jaw. Sam and Dean's voices greeting him snapped her out of her stare. Amber’s heart fluttered and she felt a rush of energy shoot up her spine...and a smolder descend to her lower pelvis. Surprised by her intense reaction, she hoped she wasn’t being too obvious and turned her back, pretending to stare at the house, in an attempt to play it cool. She couldn’t remember the last time she felt this attracted to someone. In all honesty she wasn’t even sure if she ever had, especially someone she didn’t know at all. _This was so disorienting...and so exciting!_

 

"Ok, so I'm gonna head inside," Kyle said while locking up his car. As he walked by her, he turned to make eye contact with the girl. His eyes lingering a bit on hers and he added, "I'll catch y'all later." 

 

Amber watched him walking away in all of his glory. Black leather jacket, jeans that hang around him just perfectly… 

 

Sam catching all of this with alarm, stole a glance at Dean’s face. His brother’s scowling following after Kyle probably meant he’d also caught their sister's not-so-subtle interest. His brain started assessing the situation immediately. And to his horror Amber flirting with some random person brought a whole new bunch of dangerous implications. Walking around the Impala and next to his sister Sam draped an arm around her, hugging her tightly to his side, his hand securing her shoulder.

 

Remembering the mall parking lot incident, Amber turned to look at him, half-amused. "You have to admit he's cute," she whispered to him conspiratorially.

 

Chuckling, Sam ruffled her hair. "Not my type, sorry," he quipped lightheartedly. Amber taking an interest in someone neither he nor Dean personally knew did not sit well at all, but he had to find a way to approach this in a manner that wouldn’t piss her off. When he felt her relax a bit in his hold he continued, "I know this trip didn't exactly start off smoothly, but I need you to remember what's at stake here, ok?" 

 

Amber turned serious eyes up to him, her eyes acknowledging what he’d just said, and regarded him for a couple of seconds, then she nodded. 

 

"We can't draw too much attention, so please, don’t do anything rash. Keep a low profile and cut the crap with Dean," he added emphatically, giving her shoulder a firm squeeze. “I mean it.” 

 

"I already did," was Amber’s defensive response.

 

Sam's expression kept its seriousness. "Your little comments at lunch didn't exactly help. Don't think for a moment any of that went unnoticed. But considering the circumstances, there was nothing to be done. Anyway, just keep a _low profile_ and cool it with Dean." 

 

Amber kept the thought of _'If he cools it with me'_ to herself and simply nodded. Then, taking a step forward out of Sam’s grasp, she asked loudly, "Are we going in or what?" 

 

Hoping she’d heed the subtle order in his words, and that she would avoid too much interaction with Kyle, Sam watched her walking towards the door, and sighing, followed right behind her. He wasn’t optimistic about her behavior and wondered how far his warnings would go. 

 

* * *

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* * *

 

 

 _Amber had never seen so much flannel in her life!_ Upon entering the front door she cast her gaze around the room, encountering literally more than a dozen flannel-clad hunters, some of them even in vests and greasy, old caps. The sole exceptions to this fashion massacre being Kyle, who was chatting with some chubby guy in the kitchen and a girl and a boy who lounged lazily on the living room’s couch. They looked to be in their early twenties and their total black attire seemed to have little to do with the occasion. Amber watched as Jody went ahead and greeted another hunter with a firm handshake and a pat on the shoulder. Sam and Dean stood right behind their sister, glancing around them vigilantly. They recognized some faces, but were relieved to see that they had never met most of the people around them. _Fewer questions this way_. 

 

Feeling a bit calmer, it was time for their default in dealing with uncomfortable situations. “I’m gonna find a beer,” Dean mumbled to Sam as he walked towards the kitchen. His stance was stiff and his hands shoved in his pockets. He looked uneasy and tense. The mere thought of telling people Amber’s story stirred up a ridiculous amount of nervousness inside of him. Not so much for the fact they had to pose as father and daughter instead of brother and sister, but out of fear - _raw fear_ \- that someone, somehow wouldn’t buy the story.  

 

Turning to Amber Sam said, “Stay close to Jody or Dean. I’m gonna take a look around the house, just in case.”

 

Looking at him incredulously Amber countered, “Sam, this place is full of hunters. Stop worrying so much!” 

 

Expression growing more serious than before, her brother immediately answered, “Don’t let your guard down. _Ever!_ First rule of hunting, Amb. Like we said, these gatherings tend to attract creatures. Don’t leave the house and make sure you’re always close to one of us. Alright?” 

 

Reading the subtle order Amber tried hard to keep her annoyance at bay. She wasn’t used to losing her patience with Sam, but right now that was exactly what was happening. “Fine,” she said as calmly as she could manage. “I’ll stay close, and keep my guard up.” 

 

Her huffy attitude just put Sam’s nerves on edge. _Why was she making this so hard? He_ saw her disguised dismissiveness clear as the day, but had to prioritize. “You’d better,” he said quietly looking at her warningly. After a silent stare down, he shifted his gaze and began searching for Dean. When his brother looked towards him he discreetly pointed to the staircase with his head. Dean’s nod was enough to reassure Sam that he’d keep an eye on their sister, as he headed upstairs.

 

 Amber saw this silent exchange. Reading the meaning of their silent communication, she had to resist the urge to flip both of them off and instead started walking among the numerous people further into the room. Denver aside, it had been too long since she had the chance to be in a place where she could actually meet new people. For now, her interest was centered solely on Kyle, but with both Sam and Dean in guard-dog mode, she decided to not attempt seeking him out just yet. Instead, she leaned against the kitchen’s doorframe and studied everyone around her. She could hear Dean talking about beer and Wendigos with some guy behind her. Then a commotion of clapping and laughter as everyone raising their glasses and drank. It was mildly startling, but curious to watch. After this group toast, everyone resumed their conversations. _What the hell?!_

 

As the minutes passed and nobody seemed interested in who she was, or what she was doing there, she felt more and more at ease. She realized that as long as she remained at a distance from her brothers, nobody had a chance to look at them long enough to spot that infamous resemblance that worried all of them so much. 

 

The whole atmosphere of the room suddenly changed as a middle-aged woman, dressed in total black, in heels and glasses, entered the living room. The white pearl necklace that hung around her neck and the pained expression on her face made Amber wonder. Not knowing Asa Fox’s age this woman in the pearls could be either his wife or his mother. She watched Jody walking to her and hugging her, offering her condolences. Seconds later Dean passed right by her to do the same. As soon as her brother passed her, she found the chance to quickly slide into the kitchen unnoticed. Spotting a large plastic tub filled with ice and beer bottles on the table, she hastily grabbed one, holding it close to her torso so as to be less obvious, and then headed directly for the back door. Pushing it open with a squeak, she held her breath.

 

As soon as she stepped outside she let out a small sigh of relief. She’d been unoobserved and it felt cooler, calmer outside. Seeing other people, and having the chance to socialize was great. She’d be really pissed if Sam and Dean had taken that opportunity from her, but the truth was at the moment she didn’t care at all for meeting a bunch of middle-aged, nosy people. Glancing around the backyard she marveled at how pretty it was. The backyard looked perfect, covered with well-groomed grass that looked like brushed velvet. Bushes and flowerbeds, that had started withering from the cold, hugged the outline of the house and a few trees could be seen in silhouette along the far end of the garden. The deep forest of tall Black Spurces, which began a few feet away from the garden, made the Japanese Maples, Myrtles, and Dogwoods look like dwarfs standing next to giants. At the far right of the garden there was a small wooden outdoor table, a couple of chairs and a glider. Amber made her way to the glider and glanced towards the house. Seeing that she’d be visible from the kitchen window, if anybody glanced outside, she decided this was just the right place to sit herself down. If Sam or Dean decided to bitch about her leaving the house, she could point out that she remained in the garden and visible from the inside. _That should be good enough. Hell, that should be good enough even if she were only six._

 

Sitting on the fluffy pillows that covered the glider’s long seat, she smiled contently. She brought her legs up and sat Indian style on it, trying to open her beer. Her smile melted off her face, replaced with annoyance when the cap wouldn’t budge. _Augh! She needed a bottle opener._

 

“Need help with that?” A familiar voice sounded. 

 

Turning her head to the left, she saw Kyle standing a couple feet away, one hand in his jacket’s pocket, the other holding a silver flask, and a hint of a smile playing on his lips. 

 

“Yeah, actually. Thanks,” she answered as she extended the hand that held the bottle. 

 

The young man walked to her and placed his flask on the table, before grabbing the bottle. Taking his key-chain out of his back pocket he used the bottle opener on it to unlatch the metallic cap, and watched as the smoky carbonation misted from the bottle,  before handing it back to her, “Mind if I join you?” 

 

Amber took a sip from her bottle and felt her stomach dancing with that familiar excitement flirting usually triggered. “Sure,” she answered casually and scooted a bit closer to the glider’s arm to allow more space for Kyle.

 

 _He smiled what he hoped was a devastatingly handsome smile. He wanted to hook this girl._ Sitting next to her, he rested comfortably against the glider’s back. His feet remained attached to the ground and he used them to lightly push the swing back and forth. “So… How come we’ve never met before?” he asked, turning his face to Ambers, his eyes boring into hers with feigned, casual interest.

 

 _Oh shit_ , Amber thought to herself. _She was a goner!_ Tugging a strand of hair behind her ear, she shrugged. “You live in Sioux Falls City and I don’t?” she offered in a casual tone before she gulped down another sip from her beer. 

 

“Yeah, I could figure that much out on my own,” came his immediate retort followed by an amused smirk. “It was a subtle way to learn where you live so I don’t have to make a complete fool of myself by asking you directly, like I am now. Sort of keep my smooth facade going…”.

 

  _Again, that charming smile._ Letting out a small laugh Amber shook her head. “Well, in that case, Kansas.”

 

“Damn,” Kyle answered sipping from his flask with a small shake of his head. “That’s a bit far.”

 

“Far for what?” Amber asked back, pleasantly surprised by his forthright manner. 

 

“For driving over and flirting with you,” he answered simply, sending her a wink. 

 

“Wow, that was real smooth,” Amber chuckled, but the flattered flush in her cheeks could be seen even in the dimly lit garden. She fidgeted a bit with her bottle feeling  unsure of what else she could say, but very much wanting to say something... _well_...something intelligent. _Damn, she had gotten rusty._   

 

Suddenly, the loud sound of clapping and laughter from inside the house made their heads turn sharply towards the window. It was just like before when she was inside. 

 

“Ok, drink up,” Kyle said excitedly.

 

“What?” Amber asked turning back in time to see him gulping down a chug from his flask. 

 

“It’s a drinking game in Asa’s memory. A guy in the kitchen filled me in. Gotta drink whenever the word Wendigo is spoken by someone,” he explained matter-of-factly as he looked at her expectantly.

 

“Why Wendigo?” Amber asked confused tilting her head slightly to the side. 

 

“Because Asa killed a bunch of them in a single night or something. Now go ahead, you don’t want to anger the dead do you?” He prompted nodding to her drink with that lopsided smirk Amber found annoyingly sexy. 

 

“I’ll drink if you share whatever you got in there,” she answered flirtatiously. 

 

Raising an eyebrow Kyle immediately countered, “And having to explain why you’re bashed with bourbon to Dean Winchester?” Despite his words, he handed her the flask as he spoke. 

 

“You think a drink from this will be enough to get me bashed?” Amber scoffed before drinking a generous gulp without even flinching. “I’d need the whole flask just to get tipsy,” she added cockily as she handed it back. 

 

Looking impressed Kyle simply commented, “Nice. Winchester would never strike me as the cool kind of parent, but I guess I’m wrong, if he’s allowed you so much practice.”

 

Unable to keep her snort from surfacing she shook her head. “He isn’t… And he didn’t. I just didn’t live with him till about a month ago.”

 

“Oh…” Kyle said and his face took on an uncomfortable expression. Hand nervously tapping against the flask in his hand he mumbled, “Sorry, I didn’t know…”

 

Amber smiled and shrugged, “It’s ok.” After a few silent seconds and a brief scanning of their surroundings, her eyes turned to look at him again. “So, how come you’re not in there? Exchanging war stories and talking about Asa Fox?”

 

“I’m not too fond of crowds,” Kyle answered laconically. “Plus, I’m pretty new to this. I only know a handful of people here. Jody and three other guys we hunted with about a year back, when I was just starting out.” 

 

Her body shifting to better face him, Amber asked excitedly, “Oh, so you’re a newbie, too?” 

 

Turning surprised eyes at her he asked in an almost shocked tone, “You mean you’re hunting, _as well_?” 

 

Raising an eyebrow she countered sharply, “Why so shocked? ‘Cause I’m not a guy?” 

 

Brow furrowing for a second Kyle immediately raised placating hands. “No! No, no, no! Nothing like that. Jody’s not a guy and she’s one of the best around Sioux Falls. You just seem… Too young for it,” he amended. 

 

“You don’t look that old yourself.”

 

“I’m eighteen. Not that old, not that young.”

 

“And you started when you were seventeen, right? Well, I’ll be sixteen on the 11th and I just started too. I helped my…Uhm...I helped Dean and Sam with their last case.”

 

Arm extending to rest on the glider’s back Kyle smiled. “I’m impressed.”

 

“Right back at ya,” Amber answered meaningfully, her eyes never leaving his. She hadn’t noticed before, but now that they sat so close she could tell they were a deep blue with amber flecks. 

 

A loud call of “Amber!” made both of them turn to the open back door, where Jody was glancing around the garden worriedly. 

 

Letting out a frustrated groan Amber waved a hand, while she kept the beer bottle out of view. “Here, Jody. I’m with Kyle,” she called back to her, annoyance evident in her tone. 

 

An audible sigh of relief escaped the woman. They watched her nod and turn back towards the house. A couple of seconds later the tall figure of Sam appeared on the threshold. 

 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Amber grumbled under her breath. Shoving the bottle in Kyle’s hands she watched him taking it without question. She also noticed how he slipped the flask in his jacket’s pocket, without her having to ask, and winked at her. 

 

Soon, Sam’s tall figure towered over them. Despite the tight smile plastered on his face, Amber could tell he was far from pleased. “There you are,” he commented in an even tone. “You got us worried for a while, Amb. I thought we agreed you wouldn’t leave the house.” Sam’s tone was even, too even. _This was his controlled anger mode and this was obvious to Kyle, too._

 

Amber felt her blood boil at the words. She might not have been so aggravated had she been alone, but in front of Kyle, Sam’s words made her look like a little kid who needed permission to leave the adult’s sight. And that was far from what she wanted Kyle to think her like. Somehow managing to keep her tone calm to avoid an even bigger scene, she answered, “But I didn’t. I just wanted some air, _Uncle Sam_. Besides… I’m not alone.”

 

Sam had to keep silent for a few seconds to keep from shattering his laid back facade. His eyes boring into his sister’s in what he hoped passed as a subtle warning. Squaring his shoulders and crossing his arms, he spoke in a slightly clipper tone, “Well, we’d prefer if the two of you would come and hang inside.” 

 

The silent staring match that followed between Sam and Amber made Kyle shift a bit where he sat. Clearing his throat he offered, “You know what, why don’t we? I wouldn’t mind grabbing something to eat. I spotted some mean looking lasagna. Let’s go get some,” he told Amber with a smile.

 

Eyes never leaving Sam’s face, Amber simply answered, “Go ahead Kyle, I’ll catch up.” 

 

Kyle contemplated it for only a second. Deciding this was a test of wills that he, in no way was getting between, he rose to his feet. He wasn’t sure which of the two Winchesters held the stronger hand in this subtle match, but getting more involved would be risky. Glancing one last time to the unwavering stare Amber aimed at Sam Winchester, he headed for the house. _That girl certainly had some balls._

 

As soon as Kyle stood from his seat and started walking away, Sam took his place and turned to look at Amber with displeasure written all over his face. “What were you thinking disappearing like that?” He whispered sternly.

 

“I didn’t disappear, I simply came out to the bloody garden! And I wasn’t even alone,” Amber countered angrily, keeping the volume of her own voice as low as possible. 

 

“In this context, not being alone means you’re close to me, Dean, or Jody! I was very clear about that only a few minutes ago,” Sam said his eyes narrowing.

 

“Oh, so this is about me being alone with a guy, isn’t it?” Amber asked shooting to her feet unable to keep her exasperation at bay. 

 

Closing his eyes and taking in a deep breath, Sam had to use all of his self-restraint not to turn her around and give her some well-earned smacks. Her attitude, defiance, and deliberate attempts to undermine them throughout the day had finally gotten to him. But this was not the time nor the place to address this. He took a deep breath. When he finally answered his voice was serious, but calmer, “This is not what this is about and you know it. Stop being difficult! We don’t have the time or the privacy to discuss this right now. Your friend already agreed to go inside, so just go ahead and do the same. Remember what we talked about, remember how important it is to stay under the radar, but also _safe_!”

 

“I was _safe_ , Sam!” She said her tone rising slightly as she kicked the ground in frustration. “I was just sitting out here, away from everybody, which keeps me much more under the radar than strolling about in there! And I wasn’t alone! I was in the company of another hunter, who happens to be a friend of Jody’s too!” 

 

Sam’s eyes narrowed and his lips turned in a thin line. Grabbing her by her forearm and tugging her close to him he leaned in and whispered in a dangerous tone, “I’ve honestly had it with your attitude and disregard of what we’re telling you to do. This might not be a hunt, but you’re still exposed and all we’re trying to do is to keep you safe. So you’re gonna march your butt back to the house and be an absolute angel for the rest of the night, or so help me God...!”

 

The initial shock of the fact that it was Sam who was speaking to her in that tone and  was openly threatening her with a spanking was quickly replaced by a wave of anger. Where were his attempts to understand her? Where was his effort to solve things amicably? Why was he being so insufferable? She ignored that annoying little voice pointing out he had been understanding but she chose to keep challenging him. Instead, she gave in to another one, the louder one. The voice that chanted how patronizing and overbearing he was being. “Or what, Sam?” she breathed out in a challenging, but amused tone. 

 

His mouth opening in disbelief Sam was just on the brink of losing the last bit of his patience, when a loud scream echoed from the house. 

 

Both siblings’ heads turning sharply towards the house, another scream was heard as the back door shot open, three figures bolting out before it closed behind them. Sam watched as two of them ran towards a car and scrambled inside, while the third ran towards them. 

 

Putting Amber behind him, he took out the demon knife that was secured in a small case attached to his belt. “What the hell’s going on?” He asked, lowering the knife upon recognizing Kyle, while Amber walked to stand next to her brother looking around them bewildered. 

 

“It’s not safe to come back inside…” Kyle said urgently. Before the young man managed to further explain, Sam’s eyes enlarged. Turning to follow his gaze, Kyle and Amber saw a thick black smoke passing in front of the kitchen window, before it vanished from their line of sight as it moved further into the house. 

 

Sam felt a surge of panic seize him and he had to take in a few rapid breaths before turning to look at his sister. 

 

“We need to get to Dean,” Amber said in a trembling voice. “Sam, we need to get in there!”

 

“No! _You_ can’t get in there,” Sam immediately shot this idea down, a hand running through his hair.

 

“I can stay with her,” Kyle offered. 

 

At Sam’s narrowing eyes he simply tugged his t-shirt up and pointed to a small tattoo inked close to his pelvis right above the waistband of his Jeans. In the darkness, Amber couldn’t see exactly what it depicted, but it looked like some sort of star inside a sun. She could swear she had seen that symbol before... Seeing her brother’s expression relaxing slightly she wondered what brought the sudden change. 

 

“We can hide in the forest, stay out of sight…” Kyle proposed again.

 

Sam turned to look at Amber in a complete loss of what to do. Realizing he had to make a choice he grabbed her arm and took her to the side, turning his back to the young man. Leaning close to her, he discreetly passed her his demon-killing knife, secured in its case. “Hide it,” he ordered and waited for her to place it inside the back waistband of her jeans, folding her jacket over the hilt which remained sticking up. “Stay vigilant. There might be more demons around. They can’t possess him because of that tattoo. Dean and I have the same.” His words made her realize that her brothers indeed had something similar inked on them. She’d noticed it on Dean’s chest, but never imagined it served a supernatural purpose. “There might be other vessels around though, so keep an eye out. You’ve memorized the exorcism?”

 

“Yes,” Amber answered not sure what more she could say as she simply stood rigidly in front of her brother. 

 

Sam nodded relieved. “Good. You got your phone on you?” 

 

“Yes.”

 

“Alright. We’ll call you when it’s safe to return," Sam said urgently. Feeling the need to ensure she understood the implications of that particular instruction he locked serious eyes with her and repeated in a tone curt and thick with worry, "You are not to return here until we call and say you can. _Me or_ _Dean_. _Nobody else!_ Do you understand?”

 

“Yes,” she whispered back, voice trembling, eyes wide. 

 

Pushing her lightly towards Kyle, he nodded once and then ran towards the house. 

 

Amber didn’t have the chance to see what happened next, as Kyle immediately grabbed her hand, pulling her with him, and the two of them started running as fast as their feet would take them, among the trees of the dark, thick forest. 

 

* * *

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* * *

 

 

Thudding steps, quick, ragged breathing, twigs and dry leaves cracking, these were the only sounds that disturbed the tranquil silence of the night forest. The ground was uneven, with random inclines that made it that much harder to keep up their fast pace. The roots of the large trees, poking out of the ground like the gnarled fingers of ancient giants, unseen in the night, trapped their feet more than once. Despite the painful falls, Kyle and Amber stumbled back up each and every time and kept running.

 

Amber wished for her powers to cooperate and kick in. If she ever needed some pain relief it was now. Her palms, cut from their many trips and outright falls, burned and bled. Her calves and abdomen ached from the running. Her feet were killing her, toes stubbed, and her left ankle felt like it was sprained. Combat boots were not for running. But then again, she never thought she’d be running tonight when she was getting dressed for the day. The adrenaline sustaining their flight slightly dulled the discomfort...and promised far greater pain yet to come. When a particularly sharp stabbing sensation erupted below her ribs, and the burning in her lungs intensified to an intolerable level, she simply stopped. 

 

“That’s it! I’m done,” she managed to choke out. She let herself collapse against the trunk of the nearest tree and closed her eyes as she gulped down air in harsh breaths. Her heart was drumming in her chest and her left hand massaged the area below her ribcage in a desperate attempt to make the pain go away. She felt her hair sticking to her sweaty forehead, but didn’t make any attempt to push it away. 

 

Kyle stood a bit longer and scanned the area around them. They had stopped seeing the lights of the house a good while ago. The forest would hopefully conceal them long enough. Walking to Amber, he lowered himself to sit right beside her. 

 

Amber turned to look at him and felt annoyance bubbling up inside of her. Her aggravated gaze not lost on him, Kyle asked a confused, “What?”

 

Shaking her head before resting that too against the tree Amber let out a short chuckle. “We’ve been running for our lives for, what, an hour now...”

 

“No, I think only about twenty minutes…” Kyle commented amusedly.

 

“I’m practically dying, trying hard not to cough up a lung, I’m sweaty, my clothes are covered with dirt… And you’ve got one fucking strand of hair out of place, stuck on the side of your face and otherwise looking like you just went for a power walk… How… How is that fair?” 

 

His turn to shake his head, Kyle smirked, “We’ve been running from at least one demon and what concerns you right now is how you look?” 

 

“No. How I look compared to _you_ ,” Amber easily countered. “And it’s not a concern… Just a fact. My only concern right now is…” Her panting breath wasn’t the only reason she opted not to finish that sentence. Unsure of whether or not she’d actually manage to keep her composure, if she actually spoke her worry out loud, she let her words trail into silence.  

 

On his part, Kyle didn’t need to hear the rest of the sentence. Shaking his head he said reassuringly, “They’re the freaking Winchesters. I mean, if I know the stories, I’m pretty sure you do too. If anyone is to be concerned at this point, that should be the demon who chose this particular wake to attack.” 

 

The tightening in her throat, having little to do with all the strain of running, intensified. Amber simply remained silent. She felt his eyes on her, but couldn’t bring herself to even look at him right now. 

 

Kyle watched the lines of her face, soft in the darkness that surrounded them. Something dark, slowly trickling down from her right temple made him squint his eyes and lean a bit closer to her. “Fuck... Amber, you’re bleeding,” he said in a concerned tone. 

 

His words snapping her out of her grim thoughts and worry, Amber turned surprised eyes at him. “I am?” 

 

“Let me check,” he said in a quiet tone and used two gentle hands to clasp her head and tilt it to the side.

 

Amber felt her stomach churning pleasantly at his touch. Despite the situation, she couldn’t ignore how attracted she felt to him. His hands on her skin, his face in such close proximity, it all sent her through a whirlwind of intense sensations and emotions.

 

Having gotten into a crouching position to get a better view, Kyle used his index finger to lightly brush her hair out of the way. A small gash leaked a trickle of blood, slow and steady. Grimacing slightly, Kyle spoke softly as if he were calming a scared animal he’d found injured. “It seems deep. It might need stitches” Then his confusion became laced with concern. “How’d you manage that? Did you hit your head when you fell?”

 

Catching the concern in his tone the girl shook her head. “I felt a branch strike me at some point,” she answered absentmindedly. Her thoughts traveling to his previous words, she cringed and hoped her wound would heal quickly, avoiding the need for her to have to get stitches. She hated needles! What use were her powers if they wouldn’t save her the torture of a needle sewing her skin back together? As Kyle’s finger lightly pressed on the area she let out a slight hiss of pain and felt for the first time the wet heat as more blood leaked out. 

 

Kyle felt it covering his fingers and remained watching the red trail it left on his skin. An intense sense of warmth engulfed him. It started as a barely-there sensation, trailing down his fingers before it slowly spread and could be felt in every particle of his body. The sensation was akin to how he imagined it would feel like to be filled up with ginger ale, effervescent. His mind searched his memory for any previous sensation like this one and he couldn’t find any. _What was this?!_

 

Amber’s eyes glanced to the side and saw him looking at her blood in his right hand, his eyes distant and unfocused. “You ok?” She asked awkwardly after a second. “Can’t stand blood?” 

 

As if woken from a deep slumber Kyle took in a sharp breath. He turned to look at her with an unreadable expression. “No. Nothing like that,” he said with a small smile. _He had no idea what this was._ Getting back to his feet, he took off his leather jacket and then his grey sweater. Amber remained watching him, surprised as he also removed the t-shirt he was wearing below his sweater. Her eyes took in his washboard abs, the small tattoo she had spotted earlier, and a bit lower, a hint of light brown hair vanishing down his jeans, teasing her imagination. 

 

Catching her gaze Kyle could immediately tell she liked what she saw. A rye smile plastered on his face, pleased with himself and Amber’s due appreciation, he put his sweater back on before sitting down next to her again. Amber watched him ripping two long strips off the white cotton t-shirt. 

 

“Lean your head a bit back,” he instructed as he scooted closer. When the girl complied, and after ensuring no stray hairs were stuck to the cut, he gently circled her head with a piece of cloth, covering the gash. He tied it to the other side of her head and then did the same with the second strip. “There”, he said. “This will keep your hair away and the wound protected.”

 

“Thanks,” Amber said quietly, sending him a grateful glance. Thoughts returning to Sam and Dean, she shoved her hand in her pocket, retrieved her phone, and checked for any missed calls. 

 

Kyle, recognizing her anxiety over the time and her brothers’ safety, commented, “They’re good, but they’re not _that_ good. It’ll probably take them a bit more than half an hour to kill the fucker,” Kyle said reassuringly. 

 

“We were arguing...Before all… All of this,” Amber said after a short pause, shoving her phone back in her pocket. 

 

Kyle stared straight ahead as he asked, “What about?” 

 

His conversational and casual tone made talking to him so easy Amber could hardly believe it. Remembering Sam’s words she took a few seconds before answering, “Stupid stuff really. They’re a bit overbearing at times.”

 

His chuckle made her turn to look at him with knitted brows, “What’s so funny?”

 

“Nothing,” he said, raising his hands up defensively. “It’s just… You don’t seem like a person who copes well with overbearingness.” 

 

“Hence the fight,” Amber agreed. “If anything happens and our last moments together…” She trailed. Closing her eyes for a moment she tried to get a grip on herself. She couldn’t think this way. She wouldn’t. Sighing, and desperate for a distraction from her guilt and worry, she opened her eyes again and  turned to look at him, fingers playing nervously with the zipper of her jacket. “So, what’s your story?” 

 

Kyle glanced briefly at his hands before reaching for his discarded leather jacket and pulling out his flask. 

 

“That bad?” Amber asked, trying to keep her voice neutral, as she watched him bringing it to his lips and take a large gulp. 

 

“Pretty cliche, I’d say. In our line of work. Only child, single-parent family, monster-killed hunter-father, and here I am.”

 

Amber noted that his tone was - again - conversational and even. “Sorry about your dad,” she offered in a somber tone. _She was surprised at how he seemed to have mastered his losses with acceptance_. 

 

Shaking his head dismissively Kyle said, “It’s been over a year now. I started traveling, joining in on hunts whenever I got the chance… Until I ended up in Sioux Falls City about nine months ago. I decided it’s a cool enough place to live. Now, I’m thinking Kansas might have been a better option,” he added looking at her with an air of confidence and certainty, before offering her the flask. 

 

Amber glanced away feeling her face flushing slightly at his words. Knowing he probably couldn’t tell in the minimal light that surrounded them she simply smiled amused. She’d love to make a comment on how much more unlikely it would have been for the two of them to meet in Kansas, but decided against it. 

 

“So… How long you’re gonna stick around? Did you come to Sioux Falls for a hunt?” Kyle asked, eyeing her intently. 

 

Amber’s brow furrowed and she sat up a bit straighter as she leveled him with a suspicious stare. “How did you know we came to Sioux Falls Falls before here?” she asked, her voice holding a cautious edge to it. She hadn’t shared this information with him. 

 

“Jody. I asked her if she wanted to ride with me, but she told me she was expecting the Winchesters,” Kyle answered evenly. 

 

“Oh… Right.” Amber answered, in a subdued manner. The whole situation had her on edge. Clearing her throat she returned to his previous question, “We just came to pick up Jody and get here. No hunt. I guess we’re leaving right after… Don’t really know.”

 

“Maybe you could attempt to persuade them to stay back at Jody’s, say for a day, or something,” Kyle proposed, his tone hopeful. “ ‘Cause, I know this must be the last thing on your mind right now, but  I’d really like to spend more time with you. Preferably while none of us are being chased by demons.” 

 

Her lips curving in an honest smile, Amber nodded. “I’d really like that, too.” _Again, that giddly spark in her heart._

 

Kyle watched her drinking from his flask and handing it back to him. He noticed her hands tugging her jacket tighter around herself and immediately reached for his own discarded one. “Here,” he said in a soft tone as he handed it to her. “Wear it over yours. It’ll keep you warm.”

 

The girl shook her head, “Don’t be stupid, you’ll freeze without it,” she answered. 

 

“I won’t. I’m not even cold, that’s why I took it off. Come on, if you’re sick, I won’t be able to meet you tomorrow,” he added in a playful tone. 

 

Amber smiled and hesitantly took the leather jacket in her hands. As she threw it over her shoulders and tugged it snuggly around her, she took in its smell. _His smell._ Leather, soap, a hint of a woody perfume...and his male scent. Not caring if he could see her, she lowered her head towards her shoulder and inhaled longingly at the smell, her eyes fluttering closed. Kyle did noticed this subtle, but powerful act. _This girl was inhaling his very essence. Man, this was getting easier and easier._  When she managed to pry her eyes open a few seconds later she slowly turned to look back at him. When their eyes locked Kyle leaned closer and brushed his lips against hers in a soft peck. Feeling her lips tingling with pleasure, Amber responded immediately. Her heightened senses focused on the sensation of their lips touching, Kyle gently brushing his against hers in the most delicious feeling Amber could recall, Kyle’s scent filling her head and informing her body.  After a few seconds, the two of them finally parted. _What just happened? Amber had kissed boys before, more than kissed them. But this… This was a first._ Their gaze met briefly, Amber’s eyes staring back into the depth of his soul, this felt timeless. Pulling back, Amber simply laid her head against his shoulder. As her brain attempted to grasp and reflect on the intense experience, she let her eyes drift ahead in the thick darkness, his scent all around her. Careful of her wound, Kyle leaned his own face against the top of her head and felt her relax against him. To his surprise, he felt his own body relaxing against her. _This was neither planned, nor expected._

 

They sat like this for a long time. In the comfortable silence that followed their kiss, Amber finally allowed her thoughts to trail to her brothers. She felt completely useless simply sitting there and waiting, but considering how her powers had refused to make an appearance, _even when she needed them_ , she doubted there was much she could offer in terms of help to Sam and Dean. These thoughts didn’t help with her deep-rooted worry. That dreaded sensation of being powerless and out of control threatened to engulf her now that there was no distraction from it. She wished she could just turn her thoughts off, make out with Kyle, and forget everyone and everything else. But she couldn’t. 

 

The shuddering thought that was buzzing in her head, louder and louder with each passing minute,  made it hard to focus on anything else and even harder to breathe. If she lost either brother today…this thought triggered a fearful tightness which felt like it was choking her heart... _and this fearful sense of loss, of love...she loved Sam and Dean._ Shutting her eyes against this fear, and inhaling deeply through her nose, she managed to keep her tears from falling. Feeling the comfortable weight of Kyle’s arm draping over her shoulders, hugging her close against his side, Amber took in another shaky breath. This felt so good. Audibly sighing she began to relax. She felt it first in her heart, then in her mind, as a soft humming grew from the bourbon and this magnetic attraction to Kyle, welling up in her throat and instinctively escaping her lips. As their bodies starting softly rocking to her whispered song, they both felt the warm sensation that slowly engulfed them. Kyle’s perplexed eyes stared at the girl in his arms, while Amber, peeling her eyes open, could immediately tell two things. One, her brothers were safe and two, her forehead, palms, and feet were healed. Her phone rang a few seconds later, and this didn’t surprise her at all. 

 

* * *

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* * *

 

 

The lights were streaming out of the open doors, softly illuminating the garden and even the forest’s first treeline. A few figures could be seen as Amber and Kyle walked closer and closer to the end of the forested area. Some standing still, others walking about aimlessly. Approaching cautiously Amber and Kyle drew closer to this scene...senses heightened and eyes on alert for any tiny movement. Then they saw it… in the middle of the garden, a large pile of wood and kindling had been neatly stacked into a funeral pyre. On top of the still unlit stack of wood, laid out on a large wooden surface, were not one, but three bodies, shrouded in white sheets from head to toe. 

 

Amber was shocked! Three bodies! That meant people died that night... Searching the people moving around this distressing scene, her eyes were primed for the sight of her brothers and Jody. The faces of the people were different from when she’d gone out into the garden. She recognized some individuals she’d met earlier, but everything about them was different. Most of all, she could see this in their eyes. Tight, narrowed, fearful… The lines in their faces were deepened. Their bodies tense. These seasoned hunters looked tired and scared. 

 

With every step she took her heartbeat pulsed louder in her chest. The knot that used to be her stomach grew tighter and tighter. She berated herself for being so on edge. She knew Sam and Dean were safe. She’d talked to Sam; she’d heard Dean’s voice in the background during their short conversation. _They were alive._ They were safe. And yet, until her eyes actually met theirs she felt as though it could all be a lie. Some sort of illusion. 

 

Then she saw her. Jody was weeping. Her strong, pretty face looked lined and sunken, eyes rimmed red. She was standing nearest to the pyre and had a hand extending up touching the shrouded shoulder of the body closest to her. She appeared to be deep in mental anguish and silent communication to the departed. Amber assumed she was touching Asa Fox, but with the two new shrouded figures on the pyre, she couldn’t really know. What on earth had happened? 

 

“Amber,” Kyle’s whisper made her drag her gaze away from the woman. When she looked at him he only nodded to somewhere on her left. Amber whipped her head around so fast a stabbing pain erupted in her neck. When her gaze recognized Dean she felt her knees buckle with relief. Without giving it any thought, she jogged up to him practically throwing herself in his arms, as she buried her face in his chest. 

 

Dean was caught off guard, jerking back at first, but then immediately recognizing and engulfing Amber in a giant hug of his own. His chin resting on her hair, feeling her relief and fear for his safety tighten around him, Dean’s mind was awash with relief. Amber felt his embrace and, surprised by her own response, _hugged back even harder._ Dean, didn’t have much time to register that this was unusual for Amber. Instead, he simply clasped a hand on the back of her head and let his own heart savor the moment. 

 

Amber felt her emotions unravel. No matter how difficult he was, Dean meant so much to her… and there it was. _She loved him._ Without even realizing it, she began to cry. It was the sobbing, body-shaking type of crying that holds you bound like a hostage to your own emotions. Amber wasn’t thinking at all. She was reeling like a coil unwound, releasing feelings she had unknowingly been harboring for many, many years...and they all came spilling out at this moment. 

 

Sam, who was just then walking out of the house with another hunter, spotted them. He remained watching them for a while. At first stunned, then relieved, to see them like this. Amber was safe. After all of the deception, lies, and death this night had held, he clung tight to his family’s safety. Walking up to his siblings he clasped a hand on Amber’s shoulder and squeezed it tightly. 

 

Turning her face from Dean’s shirt to look up, Amber felt her face crumble further upon seeing Sam staring down at her. She started to bawl all over again. Through her tears she could see how sad and tired he looked. Breaking the embrace with Dean she turned her body and fiercely embraced Sam, hugging him tightly about his long torso as tears kept sliding down her cheeks. Sam felt her body trembling and his heart clenched. She hadn’t done this before...not this deeply.  “It’s ok… We’re ok, Amb. We’re ok,” he whispered soothingly, his large hand rubbing her back comfortingly. His gaze met Dean’s briefly. The brothers exchanged the look they were all too familiar with, even though they wished they weren’t. That of a relief so raw and savage that it tore them up each and every time. The relief of all of them making it out alive. Then they stared ahead, towards the pyre. Now they could focus on what needed doing right now...sending off the dead. 

 

Kyle stood nearby watching all of this. Amber said that she’d only lived with them for a month, but these Winchesters were tight. And this made the argument that he’d better move cautiously. With that thought, he slowly walked close to Jody and silently stood beside her. When the woman didn’t seem uncomfortable or bothered by his presence he extended a hand to clasp her shoulder. Jody’s tearful gaze turned to him and only then it really registered with her who it was. Patting the hand on her shoulder affectionately she forced a smile which came out as a pained grimace on her tearful face. She was glad he was safe. In an unexpected way, Kyle too felt some relief that she was standing there, still breathing. When the young man spotted the people around them, slowly moving a bit closer to the pyre with Asa’s mother holding a lit torch in her shaky grip, he gently dragged Jody a bit further back. Jody allowed this and drew back to stand next to him, all facing the people they were sending off. _This was it….Asa was leaving her...for the last time._ Fresh tears spilled down her face and both of her palms clasped over her mouth in an effort to keep her sobs in. It was a violently pathetic effort and no one thought any less of her. No one knew she had loved Asa for years, in and out of her bed, and had yearned for a life with him. He was a man dedicated to hunting and the hunter’s lone existence. It had been her deep desire... _and she was burning these dreams, along with this man, this night._

 

Within minutes everyone’s eyes were reflecting the dancing red flames. Amber thought that the spectacle would be considered pretty, for a funeral at least. The vivid colors, the swirling smoke, the crackling sound of burning wood...but that was until the smell hit her. It wasn’t just that of burning wood… _It held something else._ She felt her stomach flip and had to make a huge effort not to throw up upon the realization of the source of this deep, acrid stench. Pressed against Dean’s torso her hand flew to Sam’s and held onto it as tightly as she could. She tried to focus on every other sense in order to stop thinking about the smell of burning flesh, the smell of death. She felt her pulse of her hand throbbing in Sam’s tight clutch. She felt the heat of Dean’s body. The air against her skin. She focused her eyes on the grass below her feet. And she prayed. _For the first time in a very long time, she prayed._ She prayed she’d never have to face this again. That she’d never have to send off another person. And especially not the two that were standing on either side of her. In that moment, she vowed, she was done with death. _Done._

 

* * *

꧁W꧂꧁T꧂꧁W꧂꧁T꧂꧁A꧂

* * *

 

 

In the next few hours, an almost surreal sense of calmness had replaced all the sadness and pain that had seemingly burned along with the bodies. All that was left were the ashes of the dead and those in attendance, a lot who were well-accustomed to loss. They were almost desperate to leave death behind and move forward. 

 

Sam, pretending he was rummaging in the Impala’s trunk, watched closely as Amber was saying goodbye to Kyle. They’d gotten close, _quickly._ Which he knew it was to be expected at their age, but their circumstances merely compounded the numerous implications this could bring up. How would Amber cope with returning to Kansas? Would they want to see each other again? See each other more? How would that work? And what would that mean for his, Dean’s and Amber’s life, most especially under their current situation? Despite all the worrying thoughts, Sam caught himself feeling a weird sense of relief that Amber and Kyle had met. He believed that to a certain extent it sealed Amber from all the death and misery this night had brought. That it had helped her bounce up after the funeral and that it had brought a speck of normalcy into Amber’s far from ordinary life. In a way it had even helped him and Dean too. Pushing them to kick everything else to the backburner and focus on what was important and what tomorrow held.

 

“Hey Sammy, those two done yet?” was Dean’s response to their sister’s crush on this unknown hunter. He was leaning against the driver’s door, his own gaze never leaving Amber and the long-haired guy that was seemingly all over her.

 

Catching the frustration in his brother’s tone Sam turned away from the Impala’s trunk, closing the hood. His voice held some of the weight of his previous thoughts when he answered. “I don’t know. They’re taking a long time. I’ll go get her”.

 

Standing up straight and, lifting a flat palm signifying Sam should halt, Dean shook his head decisively. “No, Sammy. She’s supposed to be my daughter, right? I’d better go put the fear of hell into this Kyle kid.”   

 

“You’d also ought to thank him for staying with her out in the woods, you know. You sure you’re up for that?” Sam said, eyeing his brother knowingly with raised eyebrows. 

 

“Nah, I’ll leave that part to you,” Dean mumbled. Hs jaw set as he turned his body towards the pair and strode towards the goodbying teens, his shoulders squared with purpose. Sam brought a hand to rub tiredly at his forehead as he watched Dean walking towards Amber and Kyle. This wasn’t gonna end well. He just knew it. 

 

Amber, blissfully unaware of what was happening behind her, had just finished saving Kyle’s number into her phone. With a lopsided smile, she pocketed it and locked eyes with him, unconsciously biting her lower lip. 

 

“Ok, you’re doing that on purpose,” Kyle all but groaned with a strained smile as he looked at her longingly, hands in pockets. He took a step closer to her, he and Amber close and feeling each other breathe. 

 

“Maybe,” she answered flirtatiously, tugging a strand of hair behind her ear. _God, he was gorgeous...lost in his male beauty, the smell of him, the deep sound of his voice._ His mouth looked so inviting...and he needed a shave in the best possible way. That stubble was just at a length to accent his handsome face...yet almost at the point it hurt to kiss him. For Kyles part, Amber was delicious prey. He felt hungry for the all-of-her...and Dean saw this clearly as he walked closer to the couple. He’d been _that_ guy before and he knew the intent.

 

Dean’s hands, loudly clasping onto both of Amber’s shoulders, made them both jump from the sound as much as from the intrusion into this inner world they had created.  Lost in one another they hadn’t even noticed Dean closing in on them purposefully. “Done here? ‘Cause I think you are,” he said in a strong tone, his eyes locking on Kyle’s, steady and challenging. 

 

Amber felt the protection, _the unwanted protection,_ in Dean’s voice. Rolling her eyes at this invasion of the private space, she turned to face Dean. Hand flying to her hip, annoyance clearly evident in her stance, Amber’s voice held her frustration and ire. “I think we’re gonna need another moment,” she said curtly, looking at her brother pointedly. Her body language screaming, _back off!_

 

Dean, face to face with the guy that was obviously hoping to score with his little sister, had to use every ounce of self-restraint not to react to Amber's defiance and argumentativeness. He could easily see where this could go if he responded to her baiting him. This needed to stop and yet he held back all that he really wanted to say for Amber’s sake. Eyes never leaving Kyle’s he simply shook his head. “No, not happening. We're leaving. Now.” 

 

Over Amber’s head, the staring contest lasted several long seconds...and Kyle was the first to blink. Having seen this interaction between Amber and Dean, Kyle decided to pick his battles. This was Dean Winchester and he had respect for his fighting skill long before he’d ever met Amber. Besides, he had her phone number and that alone would lead to more conversation with Amber...and perhaps more time with her, too _._ _He was counting on it._ Placing a hand on Amber’s shoulder, Kyle leaned close to her, speaking in a soothing tone. “Hey, don’t worry. Your dad and uncle seem ready to go, and I should be leaving, too.” 

 

Hearing this, Amber’s first instinct was to lash out at Kyle for taking her brother’s side, but managed to control herself. Turning slightly to look at Dean, his face hard and shoulders squared, his ever ready fighting stance, she heaved a sigh. She didn’t stand a chance here. Unconsciously, her eyes scanned the sky as if she were pleading with the heavens, _Why me!_ Deciding there was little to be said she opted for action. If Dean wanted them to leave immediately, she'd leave immediately. Immediately after kissing Kyle. Leaning close to him she pressed a deep kiss on his lips. And to her immense relief and satisfaction, he returned it full force. _Mmmm..this was deep kiss._ Feeling Dean dragging her back she broke free of Kyle’s lips and embrace, and allowed Dean to pull them apart. Sending a final wink to Kyle, Amber was half-dragged to the Impala, a silly grin on her face. 

 

Sam held open the back door open and when Amber stepped inside, glancing up at him, she found his expression unreadable. With a jolt to her mind she knew what this look meant and it made her feel even more uneasy than a disapproving or angry Sam could. When he finally shut her door, she broke their eye contact and turned to stare at her hands. It was then that the other back door opened and Jody climbed in. Of course. They were her ride back to Sioux Falls. Amber glanced at the woman a bit awkwardly. She had looked so broken last night she wasn't sure what state she'd be in now.

 

Jody felt the eyes on her. Turning to the Amber, she extended a hand and squeezed her shoulder affectionately. Amber was a bit taken aback by that. The woman acted as if she was the one in need of consolation and not the other way around. "Are you ok?" The girl finally managed to ask. 

 

Sad smile gracing her tired face, her hoarse voice. "Are you?" 

 

Jody’s eyes lingered on hers for a few seconds and Amber answered almost apologetically, "I didn't lose anyone today, Jody."

 

Smile widening the woman eagerly nodded. "And you can't imagine how happy I am for this. If I became the reason for anything to happen to you or the boys..." she trailed, her face clouding over as she let her words remain unspoken. After a short pause she shook her head as if to shake away the unbearable thought that invaded her mind. Clearing her throat she glanced at Kyle a few feet away, entering his own car. Nudging the girl with her shoulder she said in a considerably lower tone, "I'd say you gained someone, today, though. From the looks of it at least." 

 

Amber's gaze traveling to Kyle's departing truck she smiled, her cheeks flushed lightly. Without offering an answer, she glanced out of the window only to see Sam and Dean standing a few feet away, talking quietly. Them, privately conferring away from her, was humiliating. Feeling her temper rising she scooted forward in her seat and reached for the steering wheel, banging her fist on the horn three times, before she slumped back into her seat. Jody watched this with astonished alarm. Amber’s eyes followed Dean and Sam walking towards them and promptly getting in the car. Once the driver’s door shut, Dean turned to look at his sister with eyes that clearly spelled _"watch it!". Jody couldn’t help but follow this inflammatory interaction between father and daughter. She wasn’t sure what she thought about this._

 

"Oh, Gosh! Did I interrupt you?" Amber asked looking the very image of innocence and contrition. "I just thought we were in a hurry," she added in the most apologetic tone she could muster. Amber watched Dean's entire face tensing up and could swear he was barely able to stop himself from yelling right then and there. A sense of triumph bubbling up in her stomach, Amber felt it served him right. After all, he’d also interrupted her and Kyle on purpose. 

 

Jody from the back and Sam from the front seat watched the interaction stiffly. Sam knowing full well his sister was far from apologetic and contrite, and Jody perplexed by this whole interaction. Dean was so annoyed with the girl. Yes, she’d immediately explained herself and apologised, but the woman could tell there was much more going on than what slid along the surface... _of that she was sure._ Glancing back at Amber she spotted the first hint of satisfaction on her otherwise neutral expression. Realizing she was clearly missing great, big sections from this tableau, she decided she’d speak to Dean later on before she decided if it was him, Amber, or both that were in desperate need of a chewing out. 

 

Dean finally turned in his seat and turned the key in the ignition. As the Impala roared to life, Amber turned to stare out of her window. It didn’t take long for the car's vibrations to lull her into a much needed dreamless slumber.

 

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The soft shake on her shoulder made Amber groan softly as she slowly peeled her eyelids open. Glancing up she saw Dean leaning over her from the open door of the impala. “We’re back at Jody’s, kid. C’mon.”

 

“Alreeeady?” the girl let out through a long yawn as she glanced around her, arms stretching out into a Y.

 

“You slept throughout the entire trip,” Dean mentioned. Then, a small smirk forming he added, “Snored a bit too…”

 

Eyes enlarging in horror Amber sat up abruptly, “No, I didn’t!” She denied strongly with a horrified expression, suddenly wide awake. 

 

“Uh huh. Yeah, whatever you say,” Dean shrugged, annoying smirk still plastered on his face. “Come on. Let’s head inside.”

 

Huffing, Amber got out of the Impala, stretching her body and shuffling her feet as she followed Dean inside. Glancing around her she realized it should be close to sunrise. The sky was painted a lighter hue of blue and no stars were visible. The first chirps of birds could be heard in the otherwise quiet and still dawn. As they closed in on Jody’s front door Amber caught two new voices coming from within and she paused in front of the door, listening without being seen. Peeking inside, she watched Jody sitting on the couch and quietly talking with two girls. A black-haired one who was clutching the woman’s hand and a blonde, who was resting her head on Jody’s shoulder. 

 

“Go on,” Dean encouraged pushing the door open wide. “Alex doesn’t bite and we got Claire vaccinated.”

 

At Dean’s words, two heads turned to look in their direction. One face looking thoroughly amused and the other ready to go for Dean’s throat. Amber, reflecting that she didn’t have any trouble telling who was who simply by their reaction, couldn’t help but smile. 

 

“Welcome and my sincere condolences, Amber. Just heard who your father is,” Claire said in a tone so effortlessly sarcastic that made Amber decide immediately that she liked that girl. _She liked her a lot._  

 

“Aw, thanks, Claire! Means a lot,” she answered back savoring the sour expression that overtook Dean’s face. 

 

“Don’t you dare start, the two of you,” Jody said sternly, eyes flying from Claire to Dean. Getting up with a soft groan she moved towards the kitchen, “I’ll go start  breakfast.”

 

“No way, Jody. No,” Sam immediately countered, gently grabbing her shoulders and making the woman turn to face him. “You’re gonna rest. You barely slept at all in the car, you need some sleep.” 

 

“And so do I,” Claire announced rising to her feet. “We drove back right after this concert we went to and I can barely keep my eyes open. Will you three stay for lunch?” She added turning to Sam, Dean, and Amber. 

 

Before any of them had the chance to answer Jody intervened, “Of course they will. In fact I’d appreciate it if you three could stay here for a night or two. After tonight… I'd just feel a bit better having you around.”

 

Dean and Sam glanced at each other, while Amber turned to look at them excitedly, “Can we?” She asked, and for a moment the boys felt like they were faced with a young, excited child. Dean recalled a few times Jody had asked him and Sam to stay, an easy request to fulfill. But right now, this was the most aggravating set of circumstances he could recollect. “We’ll see,” he said non-committedly. 

 

Turning to Jody he continued, “Go ahead and rest. We wanted to go take care of some business anyway. We’ll be back in a couple of hours and we’ll decide what we're gonna do over breakfast. Or lunch.”

 

The words caught Amber off guard. What kind of business did he and Sam have that she didn’t know about? Turning questioning eyes to Sam she received no sort of clue or answer. His face that unreadable mask. _What was going on?_

 

“Great,” Claire said in an almost bored tone, before turning her back to all of them and climbing up the stairs. “Somebody besides Dean wake me up around noon,” retreating upstairs, she lifted a bent arm, the back of her hand facing them from over her shoulder in a dismissive manner as she continued upstairs in great, loping steps. 

 

Jody pinched the bridge of her nose at Claire's words, but otherwise ignored it before turning to Alex, “The guestroom’s all set, but we need some linens and a pillow for the sofa. Could you get them, love?”

 

Smiling reassuringly to the woman, Alex nodded. “Go ahead and get some rest. I’ll take care of everything.”

 

After sending her a grateful look, Jody turned to Dean. “I expect to find you here, when I wake up,” she told him in a tone that held no room for argument.

 

Nodding Dean simply answered, “You will.” Jody nodded her own head in acknowledgment, her shoulders and face dropping in exhaustion, eyes barely open as she turned around and headed for her own bedroom.

 

The three Winchesters remained watching Jody walking up the stairs with Alex following right behind her.  

 

“And then there were three,” Amber mumbled a bit uncomfortably. After a whole day in the company of others, with many of her snide comments and clear disregard of her brothers orders, Amber found herself wondering why the hell she hadn’t thought things through this far ahead. _Surely she didn’t expect she’d avoid alone time with her brothers forever..._ Glancing from Sam to Dean she asked, “So… What are you two...”

 

“We’re going for a short drive,” Dean cut her off, his arms crossing over his chest as he fixed his gaze on her. “ _All three_ of us.” 

 

The abrupt change in his stance and tone made it clear this was not a suggestion. Amber shifted her weight from one foot to the other and chanced a glance at Sam, who’s expression betrayed nothing. Tugging her hair behind her right ear in a nervous gesture, she attempted to gain some more insight on what was going on. “Is this about…”

 

“Not here, not now,” Dean cut her off, his stern finality ominous. _He was pissed_. He could see Amber’s whole body stiffen with nervousness as her situation dawned on her. _Good!_ Dean felt this was appropriate. Walking to the front door of Jody’s house, he opened it and remained waiting for Sam and Amber to walk past him, out towards the Impala. 

 

Arms crossed in a protective manner, Amber had the dual sensation of her defenses pulling in her around her even as they went on red alert. Not feeling that she had another recourse, Amber reluctantly walked past Dean, keeping her eyes straight ahead. She felt her stomach churning with worry. Sam walked up behind her, effectively sealing her in step with Dean’s directive. _Man, she was sooo in trouble._ This was unmistakable. And yet they were outside of the safety of the bunker, without privacy. She hated that she didn’t know where this was heading, though she had a pretty good idea she wasn’t going to like it.   
  


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	12. Friction, Fusion, Retribution

**A/N:** Hello dear readers! A big thank you to all of you who left kudos and especially to those of you who commented on the last chapter and a warm welcome to all our new readers who have followed our story. _Keep it coming guys!_

 

_It’s time for Amber to face her brothers… And for her brothers to face some truths. Will Sam rise to the occasion? Will Dean let him take the lead? And where will this leave the three Winchesters?_

 

 **_WE SEEK REVIEWS LIKE A DRUG!_ ** You know the drill, people!  make both of us happy with some feedback. We’d both love to hear from you. Reviews inspire us, they make us feel good, they can lead to wonderful ideas! _And...they produce more stories for you to read._   As with the previous chapter, we’ve collectively invested 30+ hours. We greatly enjoy writing this story for all of you and we strive to improve in every way possible! So, please give us just a few minutes to let us know how you think we’re doing! It’s only a little of your time and we just gave you our creativity and hard work. _A little love is always appreciated._  

 

 **FYI:** As always we’re open to ideas / requests as long as they can be incorporated in the story and won’t throw the plot off. So, if you have this or that idea or scene you’d like to see don’t hesitate to mention it in a comment. We’ll be happy to write it in the story as long as we can make it work :) 

 

 

 **Title Credit:** Lyrics from the song 2X4, by Metallica (Album: Load, 1996)

  


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It was still chilly, the mist of early morning settling on the park benches and dripping from the trees they walked under. Driving out of Jody’s neighborhood, and using the GPS on Sam’s phone, the brothers had silently plotted a course to a secluded park where they were sure they could have a private conversation. The early morning darkness ensured privacy was still possible. This had been unforeseen by Amber. Yet, in retrospect, she realized she should've expected some retribution for her behavior. She’d been egging Dean on the entire trip. Not to mention how she’d outright challenged them both...a lot. _God, what had she been thinking!_

 

After parking the Impala along the curb, the ten-minutes walk along the paved path brought them to a wooden picnic table that was situated below a large Bur Oaktree. Spotting it, Sam simply called _“This will do,”_ glancing back to Amber and Dean, who’d been following closely behind him. The dark of morning was obscuring the details of their faces, even to each other, providing an anonymity of sorts. Shoving off his backpack, Sam dug into a zippered compartment, eventually pulling out a cloth and he wiped the dew off of the benches and top of the picnic table. Amber felt the stillness of the air and, by contrast, this activity seemed a preparation for…well...some kind of prolonged stay. She was right. They were going to sit for a while...and they weren’t going to sit in moisture. Who knew how long this discussion was going to take and her brothers weren’t going to let anything derail this much-needed chat. Satisfied, Sam returned the damp cloth to the backpack and then began searching deeper inside. 

 

Amber watched him closely during all of these. Glancing around her uneasily she crossed her arms over her chest in a protective manner, eyes silent and nervous, chin slightly down in a reluctantly submissive manner. It sure wasn’t the best of days for an outing, but the realization that early morning people might pass by at any point made her very uncomfortable. Sam and Dean were far from happy with her, she knew as much. But they couldn’t be pissed enough to even think about… _God, no!_ She couldn’t even think about the word… They wouldn’t punish her here… _Would they?_ Gathering up her courage she turned to look at them with flushed cheeks. “Here? C’mon, guys… People might walk by,” she said in a horrified tone, her face paling.

 

Raising a single eyebrow Dean’s eyes scanned her stance and face. _“So?”_ He knew what she was afraid of. He knew she was embarrassed and worried. But where he was concerned, her uneasiness was more than deserved...and she should be worried. If anything, a trip over his knee right here, out in the open, would do her a world of good. But he had promised Sam he would sit this one out and that he, Sam, would be the one to make the call on her discipline. That didn’t mean he couldn’t let her sweat a bit.

 

Eyes narrowing slightly, Amber felt a spike of anger and indignation shoving her nervousness and fear to the backburner. “What the hell do you mean _‘So’_?” She snapped. 

 

Not acknowledging her tone, Dean shrugged. “Doesn’t matter if anyone comes by. We’re here and we’re doing this. Anyone chances by, they’ll get an eyeful.”  Dean felt a deep justification in taunting his sister. In reality, he had no idea if Sammy was going to go _there_ with this talk, _but hey,_ this girl needed a swift kick in the butt one way or another.  

 

Amber, absolutely horrified by Dean’s words, blushed furiously and stiffened. 

 

Sam shot an unimpressed look at his brother before turning hard eyes on Amber. “I think we can all agree that you're not in a position to shout or swear at us.” His tone was stern and unwavering. After a short pause he continued, “So, you’re going to sit down and watch the attitude, if you know what’s good for you! Right now... _we’re gonna talk.”_

 

In this firm tone, more and more often, Sam had led with a no-nonsense demeanor. Amber reflected that, over the last twenty four hours, the gentle, understanding Sam was less often the one she found herself confronted by. While Dean was still the undisputed authoritarian here, Amber was less surprised when a firm Sam took charge. However, her own role in bringing about this transformation in her brother was still only a vague concept. Amber’s mind was a jumble of emotions. OK, sure, she’d been a pain in their asses the entire trip. Sure, she’d manipulated and jabbed at them, _mostly at Dean_ , but they’d deserved it. 

 

 _And this was the disconnect._ In her mind, all of her actions were entirely warranted. She wasn’t a child and she’d been treated like one by her brothers for weeks now. However, this public setting was unexpected. Out in the open, in a public park where anyone could wander by… _They couldn’t be serious!_ Not willing to test Sam and Dean’s implied promise, she sat down at the picnic table’s bench with an audible huff. Still unclear on whether or not a spanking was in her immediate future she sourly commented, “We could’ve talked at Jody’s…” 

 

Dean, moving to sit right across from her, scoffed at that. “Jody’s just been through one of the most difficult days of her life. She needed to rest. And our _talks_ tend to get _loud_ .” Dean’s face, the stern mask of the angry brother, was the earned dividend her continuous deposits into the “let’s taunt Dean” account had yielded over the last twenty-four hours. _This event was not the payout she’d anticipated._

 

Gulping at his choice of words, Amber lowered her gaze and fidgeted with her fingers. She tugged Kyle’s leather jacket more snuggly around her, drawing the tiniest bit of comfort by its smell. She briefly wondered if she’d get the chance to actually return it to him. From the corner of her eye, she noticed that Sam had now taken out a bottle of disinfectant and a sealed packet of gauze as he started walking towards her.

 

 “First things first. Let me take a look at that,” he said, his eyes focusing on her still bandaged temple. 

 

It took Amber a few seconds to understand what he wanted to do. “Oh… I’d forgotten about that… Yeah... You don’t need to…” She trailed in an almost dismissive tone, but didn’t make any other attempt to stop her brother who had already reached to untie the end of the cotton strip. 

 

Unwinding Kyle’s makeshift bandages, Sam lifted up her hair, peering close to her head, looking for the wounds. Amber sat quietly, letting him do this, but internally wondering what she should say next. How did she broach the subject of her Nephilim healing...which she’d kept from them. Amber’s eyes quietly followed Sam’s ministrations, waiting and watching.  

 

Lifting up still more hair, parting it and not finding the expected wound, Sam’s eyebrows furrowed upon realizing what had happened. “It healed?” He asked with almost unnecessary clarification. 

 

“Yeah… I just didn’t remove the band, ‘cause then we’d have to explain how the hell that happened.” 

 

“Well, that’s new,” Sam commented as he moved to sit next to Dean on the other side of the table. “I was wondering if you’d be able to heal yourself at some point.” The implications widened with this new phenomenon. Amber’s powers seemed to be gaining momentum and it made Sam wonder what else could they possibly expect. 

 

Amber shook her head. “It’s not like that. I didn’t heal myself. It just sort of happened on its own. This time I did feel it happening though…” Amber said with one breath, then caught herself. Trailing off and hoping against hope they wouldn’t catch the hidden meaning in her words. 

 

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! _This_ time?” Dean immediately cut her off. 

 

 _Oh god, she was busted_. Amber’s shoulders slumped and she looked to the side, not wishing to face both brothers who were looking at her, silently stunned and incredulous. At least now it was all out in the open. 

 

“Amber!” Dean snapped. “Has this happened before?” 

 

At her silent nod, Sam and Dean exchanged a disbelieving look. Sam was the first to break this vacuum. “So, when were you going to tell us?” 

 

Amber thought this over. _When did she plan on telling them?_ She hadn’t decided yet. She supposed she would, but she hadn’t planned on telling them any time soon. It hadn’t been an intentional decision. It had been a part of her private world that just happened. At that moment, it occurred to her she could’ve continued to hoard it like the other secrets she kept in her back pocket, those closely-held bits of info she gathered and kept close-to-the-vest in order to use as ammunition should the need arise. But it remained, she hadn’t really intended to keep it from them, not consciously. Or at least not entirely. Fear drying out her mouth, she ran her tongue over her parched lips. OK, she’d go with that, “I didn’t, like, _try_ to hide it or anything, it just never came up…” 

 

“When did it first happen?” Dean asked, arms crossing in front of his chest, eyebrows lowering in a manner that nailed her in place. 

 

“After Magda’s case…”

 

Scoffing with disbelief Sam shook his head. “After Magda’s case? And it didn’t come up?!”

 

“Damn it, Amber! We spent hours talking about the hunt, about the vision you had… Another new power surfaced and you didn’t think to tell us?” Dean immediately added, his tone angrier with every word. 

 

Taken aback by their intense reaction Amber simply stared at them for a few seconds, before answering again, in an apologetic tone this time. “I’m sorry, ok? It honestly just slipped my mind… Besides, it’s no big deal. It just sort of happens and it’s a good thing, too!” 

 

Sighing, Sam brought a hand to scrub at his face before attempting to answer. “Of course it’s a good thing, Amber. But we need to know everything that comes up with your powers. _Everything_ ! We’ve been over this a million times…You’re the only living Nephilim. We know close to nothing about your strengths or your vulnerabilities… You can’t just keep hiding things from us. If anything happens that you think might be linked with your powers, we _need_ to know. This way we can protect you and, most importantly, we can better help you to be able to protect yourself!” 

 

“Alright, I get it. I’m sorry,” Amber said in a lowered tone. 

 

“You said it was somehow different from the last time?” Dean asked after a few seconds, eyeing her intently. He felt his patience running thin. Amber, keeping another secret from them and one concerning her powers, didn’t sit well with him. _It didn’t sit well with him at all!_

 

Amber chewed on her bottom lip as she tried to find a way to explain this to them. “Well… after the time with Magda I didn’t really feel it happening. At some point I just realized I was healed. That I suddenly no longer had any bumps or cuts on my body. This time… I literally felt it. I felt the wounds closing up, my muscles gradually stopped hurting. It was like this warm sensation washed over me and fixed everything up...”  

 

Dean, catching her eyes flying to the side as she spoke and her fingers tapping on the table immediately knew there was more. _“And?”_ He prompted gruffly. 

 

Eyes turning to him surprised that he caught her hesitation, she added, “And at the same time I kinda felt that you two were alright…” 

 

Those U-shaped creases formed on Sam’s brow. Tilting his head slightly, “You mean you had another vision?” 

 

“No. No, this wasn’t a vision. No dreaming, no images involved. I just somehow knew you were safe. A few seconds later you called me,” she explained. It had felt so natural, in a _“but, of course_ ” kind of way. 

 

The brothers contemplated this revelation. “So, your healing coincided with your intuition?”

 

 Considering Sam’s question, Amber had to agree. These two phenomena had happened together. “Yeah, I suppose they did.” 

 

Exchanging looks, the brothers did their silent communication. Looking from one face to the other Amber, her brow lowering in frustration, huffed annoyed. “Don’t do that!” was her exasperated response.

 

 “Hey! You don’t get to be upset. You kept this from us and it has implications. To what extent, we don’t yet know. Amber...what part of _“let us know”_ didn’t you get? _I genuinely want to know!_ ” Sam said, upset and frustrated, as he stood from his seat on the park bench, looking off. It took a moment for him to unfold from his cramped sitting before fully standing. He shot a look back at Dean, then at Amber, before digging his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket. With a final look of exasperation, he turned around and walked away. 

 

Amber watched Sam leaving for a few seconds before she turned to Dean. She looked contrite. “I’m so sorry Dean. I really didn’t mean to keep this from you guys. It wasn’t a conscious thing.”  

 

Turning back from Sam’s direction, Dean leveled his eyes with his sister’s. “I have no idea how you make the decisions you do.” Shaking his head, Dean looked beside himself in aggravated confusion. “I don’t even know what to say to all of this,” he said in a pissed tone, now looking off to the side, deep in thought. This girl was a ever-unfolding set of trap-doors and hidden levers that were constantly opening rifts in his reality. He couldn’t believe that after everything they’d been through, after her running off with Crowley, after experiencing first-hand the results of what hiding things of this nature could do, she still went down this path. _God dammit!_ He felt angry, worried, disappointed, and mostly unnerved. In a deep voice he continued.  “Amber, I’m so angry with you right now. I...”, turning away from her again, Dean just let his words hang.  

 

Her heart confused and desperate, Amber just stared at him, her face open and pleading. She felt worse and worse with every passing minute. Sam couldn’t even sit near her at the moment and Dean looked as if he didn’t want to so much as look at her. A deeper fear than the one of punishment seized her. Had she managed to push them away? Without giving it much thought, she then did something she’d never done before...Amber reached across the picnic table and touched Dean’s arm. It was a desperate attempt at connecting with him. Dean felt her touch and turned his eyes to her. The face he encountered was one of sincere pleading and it melted his anger... _a bit_.      

 

“Please don’t be angry with me. Not for this. I mean, I know I’ve given you a bunch of reasons over the last twenty four hours to be pissed. But _this_ wasn’t planned. It wasn’t deliberate. I wouldn’t keep something like this intentionally from you. I swear it, Dean.” Her tone was imploring, her face open and steady. Her eyes sincere. “I feel like an ass,” she continued, eyes lowering in admission of this. 

 

Dean remained silent for several seconds. Gaze steady on hers, as if he was attempting to measure her sincerity. He felt at a loss on how to proceed. He wasn’t the one who was supposed to set things straight this time. But this was the only role he knew how to play with Amber. This role of the hard ass disciplinarian, the only role he had the chance to play since their lives collided. He was simply following the John Winchester school of hard knocks. This left him without an alternative approach to, _well,_ to anything other than what he’d experienced himself. And this situation was _NOTHING_ like what he or Sam had presented to their father. Hell, John Winchester probably would’ve used the same approach no matter the circumstance. But he wasn’t his father. He hadn’t been his father even when met with the responsibility of raising Sam. Hard-ass or not, Dean had always been fair. And had always put in an effort. The problem was he had no idea what kind of effort he should put in now. 

 

Unsure of what to say, he clasped his own hand over Amber’s and squeezed it once, reassuringly. Then, he stood up. “Wait here,” he instructed curtly, before heading to where Sam was standing, several yards away, looking in the opposite direction. Internally, Amber felt like some progress had been made. She also reflected on how much she loved these guys. How much the mere thought of driving them away unsettled her. Despite the past half hour’s stress, her heart felt relieved. She supposed she’d accept whatever punishment they’d dole out in order to get back into their good graces... _but god, not here!_

 

Dean stood right beside his brother and watched him silently for a few seconds. “You ok, Sammy?” He asked in a concerned tone knowing full well Sam wasn’t. Dean had been here more times than he cared to count, and not just with Amber, but with Sam himself.  

 

Looking at Dean, Sam looked so tired and beaten. “Dean, I have no idea what I’m doing here. I’m not getting through to her and it’s killing me.”

 

“It’s not you, Sam. You’ve been great...far better than I would’ve been...than I _was_ when you were growing up.” 

 

Remembering his past physical admonishments, Sam blushed a bit and shook his head. “Yeah, I think you would’ve already beaten her ass by now.” 

 

“Well, Sammy, it worked on you, and it’s kinda worked on her… But she’s an entirely different animal from either of us. Even your complex ass is less complex than this girl.”  

 

Laughing out loud, Sam looked down at the ground, his shoulders easing up a bit. He remained looking down, and Dean understood Sam was in his listening mode. “Just now, she and I were talking and I get the feeling she really didn't think this through...this healing thing. I _know_ she thought through all of her snarky remarks… Her sneaking out of the house… Her disobedience and all that other stuff .. that’s still all on her, but I think we can work back from here.”  

 

Sam, considering Dean’s thoughts, looked up to meet his eyes, his tired face thoughtful. This was an interesting side of Dean. 

 

When Sam didn’t answer, Dean continued, “I mean, she still has a lot to answer for, but this may be something we don’t have to punish. Everything else, _hell yes_ , but not this. We still have to keep on top of her about disclosing any changes or things happening regarding her powers.” Dean, deepening his tone, “ And yes, making it crystal clear next time we won’t be this understanding...” 

 

This conversation had calmed Sam’s mind considerably. He felt his own body sinking back down into a place of balance.  And along with his body, his mind’s balance was being pulled into the same state of equilibrium. Physically, Dean could see his brother's shift in demeanor. His own mind had cleared considerably...even as he spoke to Sam.

 

It was an odd thought for Dean. A deep thought...very out of character for him. But just then, he’d noticed that giving to others what they needed most often ended up being what he needed most for himself. What was happening to him? He sounded like a girl in his own head. _What was this shit!_  

 

Brushing this aside, Dean continued, “Let's get over there before she makes a run for it. She was pretty worked up and thinks she’s getting her ass tanned right here. You’re not actually thinking of doing _that_ , are you Sammy?”  

 

Sam mulled Dean’s question over in his head. _Was he?_ It had certainly crossed his mind. But he’d never punish her in such a manner without some privacy. Besides, an idea was slowly forming. And considering the timing and their current situation, what he had in mind might end up a much more effective punishment than a spanking would be. Turning to Dean he asked, “What are your thoughts about what Jody asked? Are we gonna stick around for tonight?”

 

Thrown off by the seemingly unrelated question Dean shrugged. “I guess we could. Why?” 

 

“Well, if we do stay a night or two, Amber being grounded would keep her near us and out of trouble. She’d hate it. Also, it wouldn't be such an obvious punishment. We’d just have her help out, dishes, cooking, stuff like this… all within view.”  A grin was blooming on Sam’s face. Even he wasn't above a little well-deserved retribution. 

 

“And keep her away from that Kyle douche or any Claire bullshit? I’m sold,” Dean nodded in full approval. Not being able to hold it back, Sam laughed a bit and his face eased. “Yes, she’d hate that.” 

 

“But Sammy...I’m calling this. If she violates this, here at Jody’s or not, I’m not holding back.” 

 

“Dean, I’ll handle this. But, I agree.” 

 

“OK, Sammy, let’s get back to.... _'my daughter'_! Oh, crap! We still have to keep this up.“

 

 “Yep.” was Sam’s dry response as he turned his head, already walking back to their recalcitrant sister. 

 

Waiting and watching her brothers conferring, Amber had time to consider what they were talking about. 

 

However, she was confused. If they were going to smack her they’d have decided this pretty quickly... _and they were taking a long time._ Hope springing up in her heart, she vowed to herself that she would follow their instructions.. _to the letter…_ If they didn’t smack her. Not here, at least. 

 

The small smile she saw on Sam’s face, as he approached the picnic table, gave her hope. Sam never smiled when he was going to lecture her… nor did Dean for that matter. 

 

Well, Dean didn’t smile when he was about to hand her ass to her… But she wasn’t really focused on _“his feelings”_ when this happened. Once they reached her, Amber’s eyes shot immediately to Sam. She didn’t have the chance to apologize to him before, not the way she had with Dean. “Sam… Sam, I’m…”

 

“ _You_ ’re going to sit up straight and listen very carefully,” Sam cut her off in an even and strong tone that was absolute. How often had he adopted this hardness in his voice when talking to her. He’d done this several times now, but this was by far the most frustrated he’d been with her and the foreignness of it, well, it wasn’t so foreign any longer.

 

Amber gaped at him. She’d seen him smile. _She saw it happen._ The contrast of his current tone with the small smile she’d spotted only seconds ago, threw her off completely. Turning, to better face him, she gathered her hands in her lap and looked at him, cheeks flushing a vivid red. Keeping herself small, Amber was prepared to listen. _This still held promise of escape._

 

Sitting down to fully face her, Sam’s hard look shot through her like an invisible lockdown. She was held in place by this look… And she was absolutely paying attention. Dean was standing close by and watched as Sam took the lead.

 

 Sam gathered himself mentally to begin this. “I’ll concede that you didn’t intentionally hold back about your healing powers. But...we know you _very intentionally_ provoked both of us, you were intentionally manipulative about going to the wake, you used Jody’s presence to get your own way, you very deliberately left the house when we told you to stay inside, and completely disregarded me when I told you to get back in. Openly challenged me, in fact. Basically, you acted like a spoiled eleven-year-old, who wants her own way no matter what.”

 

 _Damn! This sounded so much worse when Sam was describing it._ Amber gulped uneasily not liking where this was heading. Being let off the hook suddenly didn’t seem so probable. This all looked so much worse now than when she’d done it. It was bad, really bad. She stole a glance at Dean wondering why he was keeping his distance from her and Sam. Usually, he was the one reading her the riot act, with Sam waiting on the sidelines and intervening as needed. This was a first.  

  

“How would you respond to something like this, if you were me?” Sam then asked. 

 

 _Huh?_ Amber’s mind went blank. _What?_

 

She clearly wasn’t expecting this, so Sam repeated himself. “If you were me, how would you respond to all that you’ve been doing?” 

 

In a slow reveal, Amber’s understanding began to catch up as Sam’s question sunk in. What would she do if she had to deal with this, _with herself acting like this?_ Never having contemplated Sam and Dean’s side of their situation, her face was a portrait in perplexity...morphing into a  pinkish blush, a look of disarranged thoughts on her face from this sealed door Sam had just kicked open. Then her face grew hot and she knew she was blushing furiously. Her mind was getting a grip on Sam’s question and it was deeply uncomfortable. Not being able to look up at him, she kept her eyes lowered as she thought this through. 

 

Sam watched her eyes and could see the wheels turning. He really wondered what she’d come up with. He wondered if this approach would possibly broaden her insight and bring her into a position where she’d have to hypothetically hold herself accountable. 

 

Amber’s brain raced. Not a half hour ago she’d swear her actions were at the very least justified. Now, after listening to Sam bringing everything to her attention, after feeling crappy for upsetting both her brothers this much, and revisiting what had happened during the last twenty-four hours from a different perspective...The one Sam had just opened up for her...She wasn’t so sure anymore. Putting herself in Sam’s shoes, after all that’s she’d done, _and she’d known better,_ she’d probably smack the hell out of her.... This thought landed her so hard into her brothers’ reality. Looking up, she briefly eyed Sam before lowering them again. 

 

Sam kept his gaze on her...steady and expectant. “So, what's your answer?” 

 

 _Shit!_ _He was waiting for an actual response?! Hell no. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t._ “Sam…” She whispered in an almost pleading tone _._

 

“No. You’re not getting out of this. I’m expecting an answer, Amber,” came Sam’s response. Tone unwavering, eyes never leaving her face.   

 

An impressed Dean watched and listened from a few feet back. _Damn, Sam was good!_

 

Squirming where she sat, Amber was still at war with her obvious disobedient and manipulative behavior and how she felt about this from a more objective view. She’d had good reasons for everything she’d said and done, _at least it felt that way at the time._ Thinking it over now, in the light of this juxtaposed context, Sam’s question was forcing a new awareness.

 

“I’m still waiting, Amber,” Sam impatiently prompted, leaning forward and resting his forearms on the table between him and his sister. 

 

“I don’t know, ok? I don’t know what I’d do! I don’t know what you expect to hear from me other than that I’m sorry. You win! I get how difficult I’ve been. I admit it. What else do you want from me?” Amber answered, frustration over the situation emerging. She was almost at a point where she wished they’d just spanked her as soon as they got here. At least it would be done and over with by now. This was _torture_. 

 

Deciding to pace with her, Sam led from here. “So, you knew what you were doing was wrong. Yes?”

 

A quiet “Yes” was all she could get out.

 

“And you knew we wished to keep you at Jody’s _away from risk_ , and yet you deliberately made use of this social situation to get what you wanted?”

 

Amber was silent.  

 

_“Amber…”_

 

Again, a reluctant response as she whispered a quiet “Yes.”

 

“You knew I had promised that you’d answer to _me_ if you kept picking at Dean?”

 

“OK, yes! _Yes to all of this!_ Can’t we just be done with this?” Amber exclaimed, her face upturned to his, her shoulders leaning to her left, right hand shooting up in a gesture of supplication. A desperate attempt to lift herself out of this trouble. _This was excruciating!_

 

Sidestepping the present, Dean was putting it all together, the meaning of Sam’s cryptic words. So, Sam had promised to come down on Amber for her snarky comments to him. Dean had been wondering about this ever since yesterday on the drive over to Jody’s. He wasn’t too sure how he felt about this. He could fight his own battles, but...well...he still didn’t know how he felt about this. 

 

Firmly in the present Sam was reading Amber’s discomfort. Her realization. But she still wasn’t where he wanted her. “But if you had to set a punishment for your own behavior, for all of this _abhorrent_ behavior, what would you do? What would deter you from doing this again?” 

 

And...completely out of context again, Dean considered Sam’s vocabulary. _Abhorrent, huh. This was a good word. Awesome._

 

Hearing this, Amber considered that these punishments were to discourage her… But the word _deterrent_ struck her like a gong. This word held the meaning that the path leading to the punishment may never even be walked. And, well, _they_ had been a deterrent to some of her decisions, _certainly not all._ And it hadn’t really dawned on her until _just this very minute_ that this was their purpose, to change her decisions. It was so obvious. Cause and effect...this concept was starting to form in her mind. Her teenage brain was taking in what it could. 

 

Sam watched her internal gears working. Something was happening inside her head. 

 

It was a slow process, a humbling process, but Amber was coming to terms with what she deserved and that she had misjudged her brothers. Looking up at Sam she attempted to speak. “I’d probably be very upset with me and want to smack me.” She couldn’t bring herself to say anything more. Not just yet. 

 

“And..?” prompted Sam. 

 

“What do you mean, _‘And’?”_  

 

“And what else? What else would you deserve for so many violations?” Sam answered, his tone even. 

 

“Sam, isn’t it enough that I’ve just admitted I deserve to _get it_?”, Amber’s face a mixture of agony and desperate embarrassment. 

 

“How long would this spanking work for, do you think?” Sam intentionally let this question linger in the air. 

 

 _“Saaam…”_ Amber whined. _This was so painful!_

 

Sam shook his head, gaze pinning the girl into place. He was getting somewhere. He could see it. “Amber, consider that Dean and I don’t like spanking you. We really don’t. _It’s tough._ And you get better for a while, but it doesn't seem to make quite enough of an impression on you to keep you from lapsing back into these old behaviors. Don’t get me wrong. We’ll still spank you if we feel you need a wake-up call. And frankly, had we been back at the bunker when you did all of this, you would’ve been over my knee for sure! But, I ask you again, what would you have done if this was _your_ call and not mine?” 

 

Silence continued as Amber drew closer to answering his question. She also had this image of Sam spanking her and it was so disorienting. This hadn’t been his role before, _but now... what did this all mean going forward?_

 

“So yeah, I would’ve probably smacked me… Um… And, well, I would have probably added on stuff I didn’t like. Like John did for you and Dean. You know, like you cleaning the guns.” 

 

Sam considered her words. _She was slowly getting there._ “So, what don’t you like? What would be an additional punishment to deter you, to remind you, not to do any of these again?” 

 

Amber considered what she hated. She hated being locked up, especially in the bunker. This was _hell_! “I guess, being grounded.” was all she could muster.

 

“ _Good!_ I think so, too.” Amber’s eyes shot up. Sam kept this face on her, watching the alarm and shock at his rapid agreement to her self-prescribed punishment. 

 

“For the duration of our stay here at Jody’s… And for the next two weeks, _no matter where we are,_ you’re grounded. You stay inside. This means when we’re here at Jody’s you're not to go out with Alex or Claire and you’re not to whine about this or protest in any way. You’ve earned this and you’ve even admitted this yourself. Anything you wish to do, like study, clean, cook, play your guitar, or reshelf research materials, you’re free to do. I will assign you more sigils to copy and lore to study as soon as we're back. If you wish to get some target or hand-to-hand combat practice in, ask either Dean or me. If we’re not busy, we’ll do this with you. But that’s it! And we do this with you...or you don’t do it. Do you understand?” Sam’s face had the look of brawn and grit. Dimples showing from his muscular facial stance, but in no way close to friendly.  

 

“And...it should go without saying, _but I’m going to say it anyway_ , if you notice anything new related to your powers, you tell us.” Shaking his head in disbelief, Sam cast his eyes side-to-side as his mind worked to sort out how this could even happen. Looking back up at Amber, he simply stated, “I can’t believe I have to keep telling you this?” Shifting his thoughts and intention, Sam pulled himself up in his tallest sitting position. Placing both elbows on the table, hands clasped, he leaned forward as if to whisper. “And Amber, I’m promising you...If you break any of these restrictions, while we’re here at Jody's, her presence, or Alex, or Claire being in the house, will not stop Dean _or me_ from spanking you.” In a quiet tone, Sam added, “ Do you want this to happen?”

 

Amber was feeling smaller and smaller, face looking down at her lap, hands nervously picking at her cuticles. _This was so humiliating!_ She just wanted to run. 

 

“Amber…”

 

 _“No! No, I don’t! Can’t we just stop?!”_ Amber was nearly in tears, voice thick and choked. 

 

Sam, judging this had been a very good experiment, deemed it at an end. In his quiet voice, he continued, “OK, then. Let’s get back to Jody’s and get some sleep. I don’t think I need to repeat any of this, do I? You know you’re grounded and you know the conditions of this, right?” 

 

 _“Yeeees! Can’t we just gooo_?” was Amber’s desperate whine. All she wanted was for this to end. To get in a bed, cover herself with a blanket, and hide from the world. She felt certain if she had to keep thinking this situation over, if she had to answer even one more of Sam’s embarrassing questions, she’d actually burst. 

 

From the sidelines Dean watched all of this transpire, deeply impressed. 

 _Sam was real good!_   _How the hell did he learn to do this?_

 

Briefly, he wondered if Bobby had ever handled Sam like this. There’d been a time or two, when John hadn’t been around, and Dean had confided to Bobby that he was having trouble with Sam. He hadn’t exactly gotten any advice, but he knew Bobby and Sam had spent time together, talked or whatever Bobby had done. Sam had come back calmer and better behaved. Back then he’d assumed Bobby had straightened Sam out in the same way Bobby had taken him in hand those half dozen times or so.  Being one of the few adults with permission from John Winchester to step in as needed, Bobby had remained a parental figure to them. Actually, _more_ of a parent than John had ever been. 

 

Approaching his siblings, Dean watched Sam’s face and took his cues. With resolution in the air, The oldest Winchester placed a hand on Amber’s shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly. Looking to his brother, he asked, “Ready to go, Sammy?”

 

 Nodding, Sam untangled his long legs from underneath the picnic table’s built-in benches and stood up.  

 

Amber got to her feet as well and, with Dean’s hand still on her shoulder, they headed back to the Impala. They’d been there long enough to watch the day break and it was now light. Cars were starting to appear on the roads with more frequency, and the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota was coming awake. 

 

 

* * *

 

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* * *

 

 

 

    

“Little brother, I’m impressed. You nailed this, Sammy,” Dean commented as he and Sam moved to sit on either side of the kitchen island. After a solid four-hour nap they had decided to leave the guest room and move downstairs. Get some coffee ready for everyone and keep an eye on Amber, who appeared to be still sleeping, curled up on the sofa. After their ‘family meeting’, they were too spent to exchange a single word. But Dean thought now was the time for some debriefing. 

 

Sam, cradling a filled-to-the-brim coffee mug between his large hands, stared at the black liquid with a pensive expression. “Did I?” He asked, uncertainty lacing his tone. 

 

“Are you kidding? You absolutely grilled her! Where the hell did you learn to do that anyway? Sure as hell not from me or dad!” 

 

Glancing up at him completely unamused Sam shook his head. “Dude… This didn’t happen to entertain us,” he said in a serious tone. 

 

Eyes squinting Dean leaned back in his seat and tilted his head to the side. “Of course not, Sammy. This happened to teach Amber a lesson. And it did. I hope you’re not guilt-tripping already! She totally deserves this!”

 

“I know she does…”

 

“But?” 

 

“But I feel like the biggest hypocrite in the world, alright?” Sam snapped. Eyes darting to the open kitchen door, he sighed before standing and closing it. The last thing he wanted was to alert Amber or Jody and the girls. When he sat back down he turned to Dean. “Don’t tell me you don’t remember how I acted in a very similar manner around dad. Only constantly. The attitude, the defiance, the disobedience even on crucial things… The constant challenging about everything… It’s just… Weird… Punishing Amber for the same shit I was pulling…”

 

“Sam, I once whooped your ass for coming home drunk after curfew two damn weeks after dad had done the same to me for the _same_ reason! That’s not hypocrisy, Sammy. It’s what you gotta  do when you’re responsible for someone else. We gotta keep her safe and she has to learn, one way or another. You were an absolute badass not five hours ago. Don’t go all soft on her now. It will completely defeat the purpose.” 

 

“How are you doing it, man? How were you able to do it back then? Every day with Amber makes me realize more and more what your life was like when you were even younger than she is now…” Sam said as he stared at his brother. It was true. Being the one doling out discipline this time was a painful wake-up call on everything this process entailed. The self-doubt, the guilt, the worry, the responsibility. Sam couldn’t even imagine how Dean struggled with all these when he was just a kid himself. 

 

Dean’s expression turned more serious. “I did what I had to. And I would do it again, Sam. There’s no ‘how’ in this. You just do it. It sucks, but it’s what it is. _Trust me!_ I’d much rather we’d be nothing but the cool older brothers, spoiling her rotten and giving her drinking tips, while some other poor sucker was stuck with the dirty work. But we can’t. Like I said… It is what it is.” 

 

The door opening a second later made both Winchesters turn their heads as Jody stepped into the room. 

 

“Am I….I...au..auuugh....interrruuupting?” She asked through an impressive yawn. Despite the question, she didn’t wait for an answer, but simply closed the door behind her before collapsing on one of the vacant stools between the brothers. “Someone bring me some coffee,” she said as she brought a palm to rub at her face. 

 

“Slept well?” Dean asked, getting to the coffee-maker and pouring her a cup. 

 

“I slept,” was her laconic answer. She offered a thankful smile up at Dean as he placed the steaming cup in her hands. Not caring how hot it was she promptly brought it to her lips and took a small sip. “Did you?” She asked right after, eyes darting from one brother to the other. 

 

“Did we Sammy?” Dean asked. He was just realizing that his brother didn’t look even remotely rejuvenated. Considering what Sam had just shared with him, he started thinking he most likely hadn’t managed to sleep at all.

 

Smirking Sam shrugged instead of answering. “You sure as hell did,” was his only comment.  

 

“And did you take care of your ‘business’ at the crack of dawn?” Jody asked, eyebrows raised. After a few sips of her coffee, her brain had started feeling sharper.  

 

Dean glanced at Sam and turned back to Jody with a confident look. Leaning forward and resting his forearms on the surface in front of him he nodded. “Yes. We did.” 

 

“Ok, if you two were anybody else I would probably try to be more discreet, pretend I don’t wanna intrude or anything… But you’re not. And I do wanna intrude. So I’m just gonna ask. What the heck is going on with the kid? Because the tension in the car was sky high and when you mentioned that ‘taking care of business’ this morning, the poor girl practically needed to change her drawers.” 

 

Dean glanced at Sam after Jody’s words. Seeing him grabbing his coffee cup and drinking a generous dose of coffee, this was the cue for Dean to take the lead. 

 

Turning back to Jody he tilted his head slightly and said, “Amber’s been a real smartass. It’s more than this, _much more! The girl’s been on her own too much, manipulates every opportunity she sees,_ and she’d not been following directions. If she keeps this up she’s gonna get herself killed. It’s been an ongoing problem, but yesterday...well...we needed to… uh… handle it before it got too out of control.” 

 

Jody’s eyes, eyes of a trained and experienced detective, took in Dean and Sam’s body posture. Their silent exchange before Dean’s answer didn’t go unnoticed. His words…well, they felt rehearsed. Not necessarily a lie…but certainly not the whole truth. What on earth was going on? “Dean… C’mon. You know me better than that. You can’t expect I’m buying this. I know you took her out to address her behavior. _You couldn’t have been more obvious!_ My question was what is going on with the kid and why all this tension?”  

 

“Well, it hasn’t been easy, Jody,” Sam tried now in a tone that conveyed nothing but sincerity. “Truthfully we were in a bit of a dead-end. Didn’t seem to be getting through to her. Which is to be expected. She knows us for, what, a month now? It hasn’t been easy on us to lay down the law when we need to and it hasn’t been easy for her to accept that she has to answer to two people she is just now getting to know. Kyle didn’t help matters either.” He added the last bit in hopes that it would draw the conversation in another direction. 

 

“Kyle?” Jody asked confused. “What does he have to do with anything?” 

 

“Other than the fact that he wants to… Do things to my daughter?” Dean asked in a clipped tone. 

 

“Oh, here we go,” Jody sighed. “Now you two listen to me and listen good. You have your experience of teen male hormones and the hunter’s life… You probably remember how you used to see girls back at that age and I’ll make a wild guess you project the hell out of yourselves onto Kyle… But You have no idea what it means to be a teenage girl. You can’t imagine the strain, _the emotional strain,_ of that age on young women. You can’t expect her to not flirt, you can’t expect her to not want to… Well… have sexual relationships. And most importantly, you can’t stop her from doing any of that. The more you try to hold her back the more she’ll push forward. This is not a war you’re gonna win. Choose your battles, boys!” 

 

“So you mean to tell me you’re ok with Claire and Alex having sex? You’re comfortable around anything boy-related?”  Dean asked in disbelief. 

 

Scoffing, Jody looked at him amused. “I never said I’m ok. I’m worried… I’m terrified something somehow might go wrong on so many levels. Them getting their hearts broken being just one of them. But, as I said, you choose your battles. And there’s a distance between dating and having sex. Amber dating Kyle or anybody else, won’t necessarily mean she’ll sleep with him… At least not… Immediately.” 

 

Sam glanced at Dean after Jody’s words and, as expected, got a very clear view of what his brother would look like if he were having a coronary. “I don’t think he’s ready to even consider the possibility of this, Jody.” 

 

Jody glanced at Dean and easily confirmed Sam’s words. Thinking of a way to proceed she added, “I mean, do you even know if she’s sexually experienced? She’s young, but what do you know of her life before you guys met?” 

 

Looking kind of squeamish, both brothers sat back in their chairs, eyes averted, looking uncomfortable.

 

Jody took this all in, waiting to hear more. 

 

Sam, remembering Amber’s references to a young hunter, whose father they met at their shopping trip, answered, “We know she had some kind of relationship with the son of a hunter, a kid named Josh Jarvis.” 

 

“And? What kind of relationship was that? Was it just a couple of dates? Were they together long? Were they having sex?” Jody asked.

 

Dean’s brow furrowed upon remembering Amber’s reaction when he had attempted to get the answers to most of these questions. “She wasn’t too chatty about it,” he commented dryly. 

 

“Oh!” Jody grimaced, her face scrunching up a bit. 

 

“What?” Dean asked looking at her bewildered. “What could you possibly have gotten out of _that_?”

 

“Dean, if she doesn’t wanna talk about it, whatever it was, it was strong. And it probably didn’t end on the best possible terms,” Jody explained. 

 

Dean pondered her words for a few seconds. “And that’s exactly why I don’t want her to mess around with boys. There’s nothing to worry about if there ain’t anybody sniffing around her.”

 

“And how exactly do you think you’ll manage that?” Jody countered. “Dean, it’s only natural. You can’t stop this from happening like you can’t stop her from growing. It’s part of the process. You can’t forbid her to date or have sex. You can’t penalize this. Trust me, it will only lead to more trouble than any amount of dating ever would,” she said softly. 

 

“I’m with Jody on this,” Sam said. At the betrayed look his brother sent him he shrugged. “Well, it’s the truth, Dean. I know it’s not easy to think of her as anything but… Your daughter… But she’s a young, growing woman. Like it or not boys are part of the game.”

 

“And, on the Kyle front, I’ll have you know he’s a very sweet and considerate young man,” Jody added. "I've known him for quite a while and he's not bad news." 

 

Scoffing Dean shook his head. “ _That’s exactly what he is!”_

 

Taking a sip from her coffee Jody then asked, “Did you decide if you’re gonna stay?” 

 

“Yeah. We would happily stay over today and even tomorrow if that’s not too much trouble,” Sam nodded. 

 

Beaming Jody shook her head. “Trouble? I asked you to stay, remember? Well, I think it’s a great idea. Amber will get to know the girls and I’m sure they’ll be happy to show her around town. She must be bored out of her mind in that cave the two of you call home.” 

 

“Yeah, that second part ain’t gonna happen,” said Dean. At her questioning glance, he explained, “Amber’s grounded. She won’t leave the house.” 

 

Jody looked at him surprised. “Grounded? You really think some back-chat and testing is bad enough to take away from her the only chance she’s had in a while to actually do stuff a kid her age should do?” 

 

Dean glanced at Sam at these words. As he feared, his brother’s face looked as if he had just been slapped. _Dammit_. So much for their talk earlier. This was going to be difficult. “It’s more complicated than that, Jody. There’ve been some ongoing issues and she’d been warned; we had to follow through. And a couple of things she did compromised her safety. And we… I never let that slide.” 

 

Jody regarded him for a while but said nothing. She still sensed something was off. She was sure she didn’t know some part of this story. But she wouldn’t press them anymore. “Your kid, your call,” she answered raising placating palms up. 

 

“It won’t be that bad. She can still hang with Claire and Alex. As long as they’re staying inside,” Dean said, his eyes again darting to Sam. 

 

“Right,” Jody nodded, expression pensive. Leaning forward in her seat and resting her own hands on the kitchen island she sat like that in brief contemplation. After a few silent seconds she turned serious eyes to glance first at Sam and then at Dean, “Boys, I’m not gonna pretend, because it’s obvious there’s something that you’re not telling me. I’m not gonna nag at you to tell me either. I just hope you know that no matter what’s going on you _can_ tell me. You _can_ trust me. And I also hope you realize I can’t help if I don’t know what is going on.” 

 

Sam and Dean exchanged a glance at her words. Could they trust her? _Of course they could._ There was not the slightest doubt in their minds. But should they? They didn’t need to discuss this out loud to know that they both felt torn for the same reasons. Jody learning this might put her at risk. But she might be at an even greater risk if she didn’t know the truth. Dean cleared his throat before speaking, “We know, Jody. The thing is… It’s really complicated. But thanks.” 

 

Offering a small understanding smile the woman nodded. “Your call, boys. Now get your butts up, you’re helping me with breakfast.” 

 

 

* * *

 

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* * *

  


 

Knives and forks chinking against plates, munching, and soft sipping sounds filled the dining room...and nothing else. 

 

Despite the almost welcoming smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee the atmosphere was heavy. Jody, much quieter than her usual chatty self stopped initiating small talk after her third failed attempt. 

 

Dean was eating silently, his eyes darting between Amber and Sam every other second. Sam kept pushing the food around on his plate and appeared to be deep in contemplation.

 

The only moments he took his eyes from his eggs were to glance at Amber, who refused to make any eye contact with him. Besides nibbling on her food, her only movements consisted of a nervous hand pressing on the large bandaid she had stuck on her forehead, at the spot where the healed wound used to be. Her shoulders slumped, her gaze trained to the table, she looked so disappointed and disheartened, Sam wished he could turn time back and change every decision he had taken regarding her punishment. But he knew he couldn’t do that. 

 

Claire and Alex kept exchanging awkward glances, unsure of what was going on. Having the boys over usually entailed, at the very least, some lively conversations over food and a more or less pleasant visit. This was far from that.  

 

Earlier that morning Amber awakened to the sound of voices in the kitchen. They were familiar voices, Jody, Sam and Dean’s, but the cadence and punctuated responses rose above the muffled sounds of their speech. Silently she’d stood up from the couch, had slowly crept to beside the kitchen entryway, and listened while keeping out of sight. 

 

Listening in had saved her ass many times over the years of living in foster care. One time she’d overheard several kids planning on stealing their foster parent’s car and some cash for a road trip. Not wishing to draw attention to herself, this afforded her the opportunity to remain in sight during the planned heist so she could in no way be blamed. 

 

At a new foster home, it had alerted her to what would have been a surprise room inspection and confiscation of “inappropriate” reading material these very religious foster parents planned that day. She’d hidden her diary and the school library’s copy of “Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban. They’d considered this witchcraft and the devil's work. 

 

Another time she’d heard the foster parents fighting about the wife being pregnant and having to send back one of their current wards. Amber had been the first to suggest she might go elsewhere...secretly hoping to get out from under this loud, obnoxious woman who would now only get worse from all of the pregnancy hormones. 

 

But mostly, this habit had given her unfiltered information she was unlikely to get by any other means. She’d heard Sam and Dead discussing her, their talk that morning, with Jody’s strong response. She felt embarrassed that Jody knew about her punishment, thank god she didn’t know about any more than the grounding, and that Jody seemed really relatable. Amber was mortified by all this, but also found she liked Jody… Again, Amber wondered what her life would’ve been like if she’d met someone like her years ago. 

 

But she’d had no time to wallow in this thought. The sound of steps coming down the stairs registering, she had to quickly tiptoe back to the couch and pretend to be asleep under the blanket. Rule one of eavesdropping: _Don't get caught!_

 

Then Claire had come down, and she’d pretended to wake up, and they’d ended up in the kitchen helping set the table and such. Amber had done this, silently. She didn’t know these girls and she was upset with what she’d heard Dean and Sam saying. Jody had greeted her, gave her a short hug around the shoulders, but for the most part she’d simply advised Amber on where everything was as the breakfast was cooked, the table was set, and the extra chairs were brought in. Amber kept her eyes averted from Sam and Dean...and they didn’t insist on eye contact. The delicious aroma of bacon, eggs, pancakes, fresh-cut pineapple chunks, and strong coffee filled their noses...gratefully redirecting Amber’s focus. Alex and Claire were mute as they watched silently the Winchesters avoiding each other...even Jody kept her peace.  

  

Eyes gazing at all the pensive expressions around them, Claire leaned back in her chair, twirling her fork between her right hand’s fingers. “So, is this a good time to mention that I might’ve spotted a ghoul a couple of towns over?” She asked while chewing lazily on a bite.

 

“Claire, you’re not going hunting alone,” Jody immediately shot down, turning a no-nonsense gaze at her. 

 

“I didn’t say I wanted to go alone…this time. I could take all of you with, though. You all look like you could use a good kill,” Claire answered evenly, unphased by the woman’s words. 

 

Small snort escaping her nose, Amber turned amused eyes to the blonde girl. _She got that right._

 

“What we could all use is some rest and quiet. Plus, last time you made us drive all the way over to hunt what you thought was a bunch of Skinwalkers, it ended up being a pack of rabid dogs,” Dean commented dryly as he washed his last bite down with a large sip from his coffee. 

 

“Cousins of yours, weren’t they?” Claire quipped with a nostalgic smile. 

 

“Claire!” Came Jody’s immediate admonishment. 

 

Amber watched with interest the interaction between Claire and Dean. It was almost enjoyable seeing someone challenging him so openly and him unable to do anything other than scowl and seethe. 

 

“And since when do you ever hunt alone? That’s pretty stupid, Barbie. Even for you,” Dean commented as he looked at the girl unimpressed. 

 

“She’s not hunting alone,” Jody answered, shooting Dean a warning look. “At least not when I can help it.” 

 

Amber glanced at Claire and was surprised to see no evidence of embarrassment. She also took note of Jody’s choice of words. They held a sense of defeated resignation. Had Claire actually been hunting alone? She couldn’t be that much older than Amber herself was. Maybe a year or so. Did Jody turn a blind eye to her attempts? Or was this something she actually allowed? 

 

Tilting his head to the side, Dean eyed Claire intently, “Well, send her over to the bunker anytime. I can think of a few ways to break that habit of hers.”

 

“I’m not a dog that needs house-breaking,” Claire answered heatedly, letting some frustration in her voice for the first time. 

 

“Could have fooled me,” Dean answered in the same unimpressed and dry manner, taking another gulp of his coffee. 

 

Eyes narrowing, Claire stood and grabbed her mug. She glared at Dean for a few seconds before turning to Amber and Alex. “That’s about all the Dean-exposure I can handle for today. Wanna hang in my room?” 

 

Alex, not wishing to spend another second in the heavy atmosphere simply got up and immediately headed upstairs, mumbling a quiet “Heck yeah”. 

 

Amber opened her mouth to answer but Dean beat her to it. “She will. Right _after_ helping with cleaning all this up,” he informed Claire in a curt tone, his head nodding to the breakfast table.

 

“Dean!” Amber hissed, her eyes turning to stare at him in disbelief as her cheeks blushed. This was damn embarrassing! 

 

Claire’s eyes narrowed as she lifted her chin and stared down at Dean. She hated his condescending tone and she hated it even more when he acted as if he got the right to decide everything about everyone. _To hell with that_. “I’m sure you can handle washing a couple of plates on your own, Dean. It doesn’t demand that much brain activity!” 

 

“Watch it, Blondie,” came Dean’s immediate stern retort.

 

Eyes turning to his sister, Sam spoke for the first time causing all four sets of eyes to turn to him. When he spoke his voice was warm. Warmer than it had been for quite a while. “Go ahead with Claire. Dean and I will clean up and you can help out with other stuff later.”

 

A bit taken aback by the sudden change in Sam’s tone, face, and attitude Amber simply nodded. She recognized the Sam she knew before this blasted morning. The Sam she knew before yesterday. She briefly  wondered what brought this up. Sure bits and pieces of the conversation between the three adults had made her guess Sam was feeling a bit guilty. Maybe this was proof that her guess was right. Grabbing her own cup of coffee she got to her feet and hastily followed Claire up the stairs. 

 

As soon as the sound of a door shutting was heard, Dean turned confused eyes to Sam. “Dude! I thought we said she’d have to help around while grounded!” 

 

“She did, Dean. And she will again. But I wanna run something by you,” Sam answered. Eyes turning from Dean to Jody he added, “By both of you.” 

 

“Shoot,” Jody said, eyeing him with peaked interest. It had surprised her that he intervened between Amber and Dean and wondered just how involved Sam was in the raising of his niece. 

 

“What you said earlier…You were very right. Amber doesn’t have this in her life. This normalcy. People her age, the chance to go out for a walk, to grab a coffee…”

 

“Sam, no! We’re not taking back the grounding!” Dean immediately shot down looking at his brother as if he had grown a second head.

 

“No, Dean! We’re not! Let me finish,” Sam answered, annoyed with the interruption. “No, I was thinking… What would the two of you think about bringing her back over in two weeks to spend a few days here?” Sam regarded Jody and Dean expectantly. He felt this was the answer. This was the incentive to pair with the consequences they handed out. Dean had to agree. And he hoped Jody would too.

 

“As in bringing her and leaving her here? Alone?” Dean replied, incredulously. “Are you out of your mind?”

 

“She won’t be alone, Dean. She’ll be with Jody. She’ll know better than to do anything stupid, especially after this grounding… She’ll let off some steam, have a good time... Dean, think. Think about how… Our situation could change at any moment and for how long she might not be able to do anything like this again…”

 

Dean leaned back in his chair, face sobered after hearing Sam’s words. His index finger started tapping the wooden surface of the table as he mulled this over in his head. He hated to admit it, but his brother had a point. Whenever Lucifer emerged, Amber would have to lay low yet again. And who knows for how long this future time would be for? Yet the idea of letting her out of their sight, of her staying four hours away even for a couple of days, of her going out with Claire and Alex… This was no easy decision. “Sammy, I know how much this sucks. But think… Can we really let her roam around on her own? Or with a couple of other teens? One of them being Claire? Four hours away from us?” 

 

“Well, she won’t be alone,” Jody piped up, making both brothers turning to her. “I’ll be here. Keeping an eye on them. Making sure they're safe… I know Claire can rile you up, Dean, but she’s not running wild you know. She has school, responsibilities… She does well, too. Most of the time. They have a curfew, Alex and Claire are capable of protecting themselves, if anything comes up…” 

 

Dean appeared deep in thought. He was torn between his sincere desire for Amber to have this, to be happy, and his fear of all the implications and dangers. “Is the house protected?” He asked after brief contemplation. 

 

“Protected?” Jody asked back.

 

“Devil traps, sigils…”

 

Jody looked at him a bit befuddled. “There’s a devil trap beneath the living room’s rug, yes. And some spirit-repellent hex-bags in the walls. Put them in last year after getting rid of a particularly angry poltergeist. Scared the crap out of me. But that’s it. This city has a lot of hunters. We haven’t had any activity in a long while and if something comes up I’ll be the first one to know, Dean.”

 

“I don’t doubt you will,” Dean said in a serious expression.

 

Jody's  mind traveled to the wake. The time they had spent locked up inside Asa’s house with the demon. A demon who had possessed a number of them, Jody included. Thinking Dean was unsettled due to seeing her possessed, before they had managed to tackle the demon, she added, “I can salt all doors and windows, while she stays over, if it’ll make you feel any better,” Jody offered. “And after yesterday, I’ve already arranged to get that tattoo the two of you have been pestering me about for ages. The anti-possession symbol. I hate both needles and tattoos, but I'll do it anyway.”

 

Sam turned from Jody to Dean. He wasn’t completely sure about this himself. He was just as worried and afraid as his brother. But he was also very sure that if Amber didn’t get some sort of time-out from their situation and troubles, they’d end up with a second Denver incident sooner or later. If she saw she could have moments of freedom and carefreeness with their blessing, _and in a safer context,_ maybe she’d rein in her almost spontaneous, careless, and thoughtless acts. “Dean, she might not get another chance, man.”

 

Jody’s brow furrowed at his words. This was the second time they mentioned this. _What the hell was going on?_

 

Sighing, Dean nodded. “Fine, Ok. Yeah. If it’s ok with you Jody, let’s do it. But only if she behaves throughout the grounding, you hear me, Sam?”

 

“I couldn’t agree more,” Sam agreed. 

 

“And the rules that apply at home need to apply here… I don’t care what time Alex or Claire comes home, she needs to be back inside at a reasonable hour…”

 

Extending a hand to clasp over Dean’s, Jody cut him off in a gentle tone, “Dean, you’re too far ahead! You don’t need to overstress about every little thing now. When you guys bring her over the three of us will sit down and discuss every detail of her stay.” 

 

Somehow, even after the chaos of the morning, this was starting to come together. Dean sat back in his chair to process what they’d just agreed to, eyes staring off to the side as his mind recapped the talking points of this chat. OK, this could be workable. 

 

“So, Sam, you want to talk to her about this soon?”, Jody prompted. She had a strong incentive to get all three girls on the same page...for her own sanity. And she’d have to talk with Alex and Claire privately...in an edited fashion. How much to tell them? She let out a quiet sigh, as this was the next challenge of her day. Claire was sure to make this hard, and have loud comments about Amber’s grounding. Discretion wasn’t in her skillset. For the moment coffee sufficed for the nuts-and-bolts of _how-to._ She’d figure it out...as always. Elbows on the table, she brought the coffee cup to her lips, eyes off to the side wall, thinking.   

 

“Yeah. After we finish here. Let’s give her some time with the girls for now,” Sam answered. He needed some time to gather his own thoughts before he’d get down to actually talking to her. Sipping from his own coffee, mostly to occupy his hands with something, he let his gaze drift unfocused. He had started feeling a bit better after this idea formed. Even more so after he managed to get Dean and Jody on board. Now he just hoped this wouldn’t turn to bite them in the ass.  

 

* * *

**TBC...**

**A/N:** The stay at Jody’s isn’t over! Next chapter will treat you to snark, fluff, romance, mischief, and a first glimpse of Claire-Amber-Alex interaction! Stay tuned for all this and much more! We can’t wait to hear from all of you! 

  
Till next time,  
Marion & Lau  



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